


Roomies

by EmpireMurderer



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Angst, Badass Phasma, Everyone's in their 20's but act like fourteen, F/F, Forbidden Love, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Related, Movie Set, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Stuntperson Phasma, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-04-17 22:26:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 95,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14198967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpireMurderer/pseuds/EmpireMurderer
Summary: AU wherein Phasma is a stunt woman who falls in love with Rey, the forbidden cousin of her friend Ben.  She tries to fend off her attraction to Rey but somehow gets into a roommate situation where she is constantly having to fight off every opportunity to have sex with her.





	1. When Losers Win

**Author's Note:**

> It's probably obvious that I don't know how to play beer pong. Somehow I missed that rite of passage when I was in college.

The party was already in full swing when Phasma walked up to the house.  She entered to find the large, five bedroom, four bath house filled with smoke, the stench of beer and raucous laughter of those packed inside.  There wasn’t an inch of space that wasn’t occupied by a body.

Phasma didn’t recognize any of them.  She figured her best friend Hux was somewhere in the area with Ben lurking around but they were nowhere to be seen.  Going from room to room in a house she’d never been in, she had thought she would have found one or the other by now, especially since neither were very short or unnoticeable but after canvassing the entire place, she saw no sign of them.

There were people of all ages in here.  While the bulk of the people seemed to be mostly her age, which was about the age of Hux and Ben, late-twenties, there was a surprising number of younger people in their early twenties as well as a smattering of those in their thirties and forties.  Everyone seemed to be having a good time, the air was dense with voices and music.  No one seemed recognizable to her.  She wondered if she was in the wrong house.

Nope, on the kitchen refrigerator was the magnet that she had given Hux when she had gone to Morocco.  And in the hallway was the picture of Ben and his mom and dad at Disneyland.  At least she knew she had managed to make it to their new place.  A little over a month ago they had asked her to move in with them, Ben’s cousin and a guy Hux worked with but she couldn’t find anyone to lease her apartment to and she had to decline.  Apparently one of Ben’s cousins friends took the room she would have otherwise occupied.  She couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

She had been there roughly twenty minutes already, wandering the house like a fool.  She furrowed her brows and glanced over the sea of heads again, wondering if she should call Hux to see where he had gone to.

“Hi!”  A voice to her side barely penetrated through the din of the noise.  Phasma glanced down to her right at a young woman staring up at her with a nice smile.  She was about five-seven, long brown hair, shining brown eyes, thin and beautiful.  Phasma felt a shiver at this person giving her attention.

“Hello.”  Phasma smiled at her.

“Do you know how to play beer pong?”  The woman, or more like a girl, she was at best twenty-three, asked her in a way that seemed hopeful.  Phasma suspected this girl needed a partner to play with and had assumed Phasma would be good at it.  She was in luck.  Phasma was great at beer pong.

“Certainly.  Is there a game I can jump into?”  Phasma answered, offering her an opening.  The girl seemed pleasantly surprised.  She pointed a long index finger to the kitchen and Phasma followed her in.

There were already a bunch of twenty-something-year-olds crowded around the kitchen island.  They were all male, and looking rather hormonal and randy.  At the sight of the girl, they all lauded happily until she pointed to Phasma and then they froze with widened eyes, giving quick glances at the girl in mystified confusion.

“I choose her.”  The girl stated as she drew up to the island.  Phasma wasn’t sure what the problem was, other than she was slightly older and the only other woman.  Before she could inquire about the game, the girl began bouncing the ball into the other cups.

“Did you tell her the guidelines of the game?”  One of the boys said.  He was of medium build, with a face of a weasel.  Of the ten others standing around, he was definitely the smarmiest looking.

“Oh, right.”  The girl turned and faced Phasma.  “We’re making bets.  Everyone is playing for themselves.  You get to choose a reward if you win.”

“Okay.”  Phasma answered skeptically.  “What did you all bet?”

“If I win, she has to kiss me.”  The weasel replied with a creepy look at the girl.

“And if I win she has to kiss __me__.”  The other boy thumbed back to himself with a wide grin.

“What do you want if you win?”  The girl asked Phasma.  Phasma glanced up at the ceiling in thought before answering.

“How about if I win, you two have to kiss each other.”  Phasma said with a mischievous look as she pointed at the boys.  They both flinched back in disgust while the rest of the group, including the girl, practically fell over in laughter.

“No way.”  The weasel muttered.

“Fine, then.”  The girl replied.  “Don’t play.”  The weasel gave her a light scowl but made no attempt to leave.

“What is your reward?”  The other boy asked the girl, looking optimistically at her.  The girl distinctly looked up at Phasma, a smile touching her lips.

“If I win, I get to kiss __you__.”  She said to Phasma, stressing her pronouns.  Phasma felt her brows shoot up her forehead, body tensed in shock.  Before she had a chance to answer the girl was already amending her reward.  “On the lips.”  Phasma noticed the girls bottom lip slide between her teeth in a slight bite, an expectant hesitation on the girl’s face that Phasma knew had not escaped the others as they stared at her in strong desire.  It occurred to Phasma that she was being used by this girl but it didn’t matter because the sexy look she was giving her was enough to persuade her to allow the deal.  Phasma smirked with a shrug of her shoulders and a small crook of her head.

“Okay.”  She said noncommittally.  The girl nodded happily and took up the ping pong ball.

Phasma was a little rusty.  She hadn’t played beer pong since college.  The other boys were drunk off their asses as Phasma and the girl whipped them at the game, however the girl was more recently seasoned and she bested them all, arms waving in the air in delight as she declared her victory.  The boys groaned in disappointment and Phasma now wondered if the girl was going to keep Phasma to her claim.  The thought of kissing this beautiful girl was enticing.  She hardly had time to think about it when the girl grabbed Phasma’s hand and dragged her towards the hall, the boys around the island staring at them in bewildered disdain.  She had no idea where she was taking her but allowed it anyway just because her curiosity overwhelmed her.  This was hardly a circumstance she had ever found herself in and it felt slightly like an out-of-body experience.  There was a quiet nook in the hallway near the stairs that the girl stopped at, turning to her, no longer having to raise her voice.

“Just so you know, you don’t have to let me kiss you, if you don’t want to.”  She told her, looking up at her with large brown eyes.  “I wouldn’t make someone do that just because of a lost bet.”

“It’s all right.  I think I understand.”  Phasma replied, feeling a little let down.

“Don’t get me wrong though.  I really would like to kiss you, but maybe under different circumstances.  Like, if it wasn’t part of a bet.”  The girl replied, a new hopefulness washing through her features.  Phasma beamed inwardly, flattered that this girl was still interested.

“How about if the circumstances were that I wanted to kiss you?”  Phasma responded.  The girl nodded her head rapidly.

“That would definitely work!”  She exclaimed.  She stepped onto the the second step, delicately scooting a couple of empty red solo cups away with her foot and holding her hands up to Phasma’s shoulders, gently bringing her nearer.  Phasma stepped closer, aware that they weren’t entirely alone in the hall but no one really seemed to be paying much attention to them, too many of them already drunk or engaged in a physical encounter of their own.  The girl slowly wrapped her arms around Phasma’s shoulders, tightening them around her neck.  Phasma responded by slipping her arms around the girl’s thin waist, feeling the girls’ chest already heaving at the anticipation of their kiss.  She was surprised to find the girl was excited by this and it, in turn, excited Phasma.  She gently leaned in to the smaller girl, feeling her hands slipping into the back of Phasma’s hairline, brushing her nails into her scalp sending waves of charged pleasure coursing through her muscles.  The girl kept her brown, half lidded eyes on Phasma’s blue ones, except for the casual glances to her mouth.  After a slow drift, Phasma finally closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a soft, aching bliss, first tender, grazing gingerly before melding into a languid, heated exchange.  Phasma closed her eyes and felt the touch of the girl’s lips pressing needfully against her own, slow suckling on her bottom lip replaced with light caresses of her tongue.  Phasma gasped at the contact, stimulating her own tongue into action as she tenderly swept across the girls’ lips, the warm heat of her mouth welcoming her further.  The girl seemed completely swept away, lost in their kiss though Phasma herself barely had the werewithall to notice, buried so deep in the moment that the air in her lungs escaped in heated gasps against the girls mouth.  Phasma had no idea how long they kissed but it was long enough that the girl seemed to melt into her, her legs slowly giving way until Phasma was practically holding her to her, bodies pressed searingly close.  A buzz in Phasma’s pocket jolted her back to reality.  She gently pulled away, making sure that the girl could stand on her own two feet as she released her onto the stairway.  The girl still had her eyes closed, as if memorizing the feel of Phasma’s mouth on her own, giving Phasma a light-headed feeling of satisfied achievement.  As soon as she opened her eyes, the girl smiled shyly at Phasma, who returned a similar one back at her.

“Thanks.”  She told Phasma, lightly running her tongue along her lips.

“Anytime.”  Phasma answered with a teasing note.  It seemed to percolate something in the girl as she raised her brows in anticipatory promise.  Phasma pulled her phone out of her pocket, waving a good bye to the girl as she turned away, looking for a quiet place to call Hux back.

“Where are you?”  She asked him as soon as he answered the phone.

“Backyard.  Where are you?”

“In the house.  Be right there.”  Phasma went out back and immediately confronted her ginger friend and her shaggy haired one as they stood around a roaring fire with red solo cups in hand.

“I’ve been looking all over for you.”  She told them as they handed her a drink.  There were about twenty people around the fire, all of them she knew in one way or another.  Here were her friends, finally.

“Well, you didn’t look out here.”  Hux sniped in his clipped way.  “We thought you got lost.”

“I ended up playing beer pong.”

“I bet you kicked their asses.”  Ben assumed.

“Actually, for once, I lost.”  Phasma told them.  She spent an hour outside, hanging out with her friends, mostly behind a large shed where they played horseshoes and darts.  She had an early flight in the morning that she clearly didn’t want to be late for and she certainly didn’t want a hangover so she left before the party was ramping down.  Her friend Dolpheld was passed out cold by that time and she ended up slinging him over her shoulder and carrying him through the house on her way out.  She had made it to the front door when she looked over into the living room and saw the girl she had made out with watching her in amusement.  Phasma shot her a smile and the girl beamed in reply, holding up a hand and waving to her before she disappeared out the door.  Phasma pulled Dolpheld into her 4Runner, easily maneuvering the little man into the car.  She would drop him off at his apartment before going home.


	2. Second Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phasma hooks up with a familiar someone. Pure plotless porn is propagated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you watch Game of Thrones, you're going to recognize a few characters.

Phasma had a full schedule for the next month in Naboo.  She was the stunt double for a semi-famous actress in a medium budget movie and she spent most of her time riding a black horse while wearing a flowing red dress and a long brown wig.  As soon as the director yelled cut, she jumped off the horse and came to the camera, watching her playback with the actress.

“That move you made looks great!”  Jeela told Phasma, both wearing the same costume, though Phasma was at least six inches taller.

“Thanks!  I learned it just yesterday.  Bernie suggested it.”  Phasma replied, pleased with how cool the move turned out on camera.

“Oh, shit, here comes Tormund.”  Jeela said under her breath, rolling her eyes.  A giant of a man with a thick red beard and flowing red hair came strolling up to them with a fire in his blue eyes.

“Phasma.”  He nodded to her.

“Tormund.”  Phasma returned.  Aside from the fact his stare made Phasma immensely uncomfortable, Tormund was an excellent sound man and mostly well liked among the crew.

“You’re looking lovely.”  He told her with a giant grin upon his giant red face.  “And you’re rather beautiful upon that horse.  Such command.  It’s splendid.”  He didn’t seem to notice how Jeela was beside him, trying desperately to stifle her laughter.

“Thanks.”  Phasma simply said.  She felt any emotion attached would only further egg him on.  She had to be careful when it came to some men as she seemed to be something of an exotic anomaly.  Tormund looked to be about to say something else but he was cut off as George, the director began shouting and they all took to their places again.

 

While she was gone, Phasma talked to both Hux and Ben who told her that, although they liked their new roommates, they would all have a lot more fun if Phasma had moved in with them.  She reminded them that if she had moved in she would have barely seen them since she was shooting on location but they contested that it wasn’t the same.  They asked her when she would be back and she told them she would go to their house the Sunday after she came back.  They told her they would have a barbecue in her honor and that she was responsible for bringing the beer.

 

Phasma came back on a Friday, jet lagged and exhausted.  She slept all day Saturday, only leaving her apartment to pop into the studio that evening to attend a surprise birthday party for one of her friends who happened to be an actor.  Her friend Jamie was quite surprised when he entered the room and saw the hundred or so people gathered around to wish him a happy birthday.  She later came up to him, bidding her own congratulations for surviving another year without premature demise and he enveloped her in a warm bear hug, planting a firm kiss on her mouth.  She was somewhat surprised as they had had a month long secret affair a year prior and this was hardly discreet.  She brushed him off and he laughed at her embarrassment.  She walked away with a blush, no sooner stepping out of his sight before her eyes settled on a familiar face.  The brunette girl from the party was staring at her from across the room, probably witness to the whole ordeal with Jamie.  Before the red in her face could dissipate, Phasma saw her swivel on her heel, bee-lining for Phasma.  Her heart began to pump with a ferocity that was unexpected.

“Hi!”  The girl said over the loudness of the room as she came up to Phasma, eyes narrowed suspiciously, lips twisted in amusement.  “Do you remember me?”  She could barely hear her over the noise of the party.

“Yes, of course.  Beer pong.”  Phasma practically shouted, unable to hide her surprise nor her smile.  She swabbed her palm across her mouth, wiping off the saliva Jamie had left on her skin.  The brunette seemed ecstatic that Phasma remembered her.  She said something to Phasma that she couldn’t quite catch and she pointed to her ear and leaned over for clarity.  The girl repeated it nearer her ear and she thought she caught the words ‘you’ and ‘full’ but it was still hard to hear.  Phasma shook her head and then pointed to the door.  The girl understood and nodded her head.

They were now outside of one of the studios, the dark night accentuated by the tall trees and strong wind flowing through the buildings.  It was slightly chilly and Phasma kept them walking for warmth.

“Sorry, I couldn’t hear in there.  It was a little too loud.”  Phasma apologized.  “What were you saying?”

“Well, this feels more embarrassing each time I say it but I just have to let you know that I think you’re beautiful.”  The girl braved.  Phasma stopped and turned to her, eyes widened by her boldness.  Phasma was often told a lot of things.  She was told she was too tall, or amazonian, or incredibly blonde, or strangely ugly, or looked like a man.  She had been called beautiful a handful of times in the past, but coming from this girl, she for once felt the words were genuine.  There was a long pause before Phasma spoke again.

“Do you want to go somewhere a little more private?”

“God, yes.”

 

Phasma took her to Jamie’s trailer, which was barely a few yards away and currently unoccupied.  She pulled the brunette in and locked the door behind them.  There was a couch that took up the length of the far wall and Phasma sat down on it, pulling the girl onto her lap.  Right away the girl captured Phasma’s mouth in hers in a searing need.  Phasma soaked in her scent and taste, returning the efforts of her kiss with caresses of her own.  She remembered the wistful look she had left upon her face the last time they had shared a kiss and she wanted to get that back again.  Phasma placed the girl’s back against her chest and nipped at her neck as she dipped her hand down to her skirt, feeling the heat emanating from beneath.  She squeezed her thigh as she made her intentions known.  The girl responded by opening her legs further, giving Phasma more access, and leaning her neck so that it was more exposed to her roving mouth.  Phasma smoothed her palm over the surface of her thighs and stomach before lingering along her sex, rubbing her full palm over her silk panties.  She felt her buck her hips into her hand and she slipped her fingers down her panties and along her wet folds.  The girl gasped, grabbing onto Phasma’s wrist and urging her forward.  Phasma felt the heated, slick opening and gently penetrated her finger into her, causing her to moan in pleasure.  The girl pushed her panties entirely off her legs, letting Phasma do anything she wanted to her.  She slipped her finger in and out of her with controlled motion, curling into her vagina with increasing force.  With her other hand she slipped under the girl’s shirt, squeezing her palm against her breasts, raising another moan from her.  She could hear the gasps from her, felt the tightness along her fingers and knew the girl was already speeding towards a climax.  Phasma slipped a second finger into her and increased her pressure.  The girl bucked her hips harder into her, eyes closed, back arched , mouth opened in the vulnerability of her rising ecstasy.  Phasma nipped her teeth against her skin, her forearm bearing the brunt of the task, burning as her dexterous fingers worked her spiraling orgasm.  The girl brought her hand up to the back of Phasma’s neck, holding on with gripping strength as she began to tense at the power of her climax.  Her harsh breath began to give way to clenched moans as Phasma plunged into her, grinding her palm against her clit, rubbing her sensitive internal walls with masterful strokes.  The girl’s whole body stiffened as she softly cried out in pleasant rapture, her orgasm taking hold and washing through her intensely.  Her core tighten fiercely around Phasma’s fingers as she continued to stroke inside her through the waves.  Her orgasm seemed to go on forever, the brunette’s fingers squeezing harshly into the back of Phasma’s neck, body constricted as she rode through her climax, finally relaxing into her touch after long moments of blissful euphoria.  Phasma could see her chest heaving in breathless ecstasy.  As soon as she caught her breath, the girl pulled herself up and around, straddling Phasma and placing her forehead up against the blonde’s with longing gasps.

“That was amazing.”  She whispered to Phasma, eyes closed, harsh breath hardly slowing as she relived the memory in her mind.

“Thank you.”  Phasma smiled.  “Anytime.”  The girl laughed and slipped her mouth along Phasma’s, tongue seeking hers out, dancing in her mouth, inciting a strong desire within Phasma.  She could still feel the heat of her from between her legs and she wondered if she was like her.  Prone to multiples.  She gently placed two fingers into her again, making the girl pull away in surprise.

“You’re awfully idealistic.”  She said, moving her hips into her, not at all in complaint.

“I’m feeling emboldened.”  Phasma replied, moving her fingers deeper and sensing a density inside, pleading to be touched.  The girl put her hands on Phasma’s shoulders and rode her fingers as she struck deep into her, rubbing the area and feeling it loosening, opening up to more vulnerability.  It didn’t take long at all for Phasma to feel the familiar clenching around her digits as the girl pressed her fingers into her hard muscles, her teeth gritting as she moaned out another subdued cry, her body spasming as she came a second time.  This time the girl wrapped her arms around Phasma’s neck, as she recovered.  Phasma’s wrist and forearm burned with the intensity of her effort but it was well worth seeing the look on her face as she climaxed in front of her.  It would forever be etched in her memory, something to think about during long nights alone in a hotel room.

The brunette began to laugh into Phasma’s neck and she turned to face her, wondering where the humor was.

“Oh my god…!”  The girl laughed, head thrown back, eyes half closed as she chuckled to herself.  “I can’t believe that just happened!”

“Which part?”  Phasma asked, unable to keep from smiling at her infectious laughter.

“The part where I got to have sex with you.”  She answered happily.  “The part where you made me come twice.  Totally unexpected.”  Phasma didn’t know what to say about the high compliments.  She simply remained silent, drinking in the sight of her as the girl ran her hands over Phasma’s face and neck, giving light kisses to her mouth.  After a few minutes of cool down cuddling, the girl reached down and retrieved her panties off the floor.  She put them on and sat back down on Phasma’s lap, placing her arms around her neck and looking teasingly up at her.

“Do I get to return the favor?”  She asked.

“I hope so.”  Phasma replied.  “Not here though.”

“Good.  I want to take you back to my place.  Can I call you soon?”  The girl asked.  Phasma was flattered by her unending boldness.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”  She gave her her number as the girl placed it into her phone.

“Holy shit, I don’t even know your name!”  She exclaimed in astonishment, fingers hovering over the letters on her phone.

“Phasma.”  She declared.  She saw the girl’s eyes snapping to meet her own in widened surprise.  Phasma often got this reaction, though maybe not quite so dramatic.  “It’s an odd name, I know.”  She said, launching into her rehearsed lines.  “It’s spelled P-H-A-…”

“Phasma Tarkin?”  The girl asked.  It was Phasma’s turn to glance at her in astonishment.

“Yes, that’s right.”  She answered.  The girl practically stumbled off her lap.

“Oh no…”  She muttered through her hands now covering her face.  “Oh, shit…”

“What’s wrong?”  Phasma asked, bewildered by her reaction.

“Dammit, Ben’s going to kill me.”  She heard her say.  “Oh my god, you’re so tall!  And you work in a studio!  Why didn’t I make this connection before?”

“Are you talking about Ben Solo?”

“Yes.  My cousin.”  She responded.  Phasma suddenly paled.

“Are you Rey?”

“Yes.  Rey Walker.”

“Oh, shit…”  Phasma uttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cringed every time I referred to Rey as 'the girl' but I couldn't think of any other way to describe her without sounding even more daft. 'The young woman', 'the chick from the party', 'the hottie'... Nothing sounded right so sorry about that. But now we have her name and that won't happen again.
> 
> Thanks to all who got this far! Comments are welcomed and appreciated.


	3. Meet the Roomies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, this chapter is just filler. Hopefully get to the smut soon here.

They parted ways soon afterwards.  Phasma went back home and lay in bed wondering how the hell she had ended up in this mess.  Rey Walker was Ben Solo’s little cousin who had moved from her home ranch in Alderaan to the sprawling city of Coruscant a few months ago.  Hux had found a job for Rey as a production assistant since he had clout, being the son of Brendol Hux, president of Coruscant studios.  It was how Phasma had landed her stuntwork gigs six years earlier when a director needed a woman in a pinch who could roll out of a speeding car.  Hux knew exactly who to call.

It was no secret that Ben Solo still harbored some underlying feelings for Phasma.  They had met four years ago through Hux and had quickly hit it off, becoming gym buddies and, as they were the most athletic of their group, found they could depend on one another to attempt the more daring adventures.  They spent an entire week in Tatooine going ATV riding through the desert, shooting at herds of Tusken buffalo and camping under the myriad of bright stars.  It was around this time that Ben professed he was in love with her.  Phasma liked Ben quite a lot but she thought of him like a brother.  He was not at all her type.  He tended to display random anger issues though he was certainly getting better at quelling them.  He was slightly immature and had low ambitions that turned her off, and above all else she was not attracted to him in any way, despite his beefed up stature.  But he was the one person that she knew who was always willing to do something adventurous with her and so after declining him, and the six months of distance that followed, she welcomed him back in her life when he showed he would not press the issue further and especially after he found a girlfriend who he occasionally brought over.

It had never been discussed but it stood to reason that Ben would not be okay with Phasma hooking up with Rey.  She still caught him looking longingly at her, sometimes entering her personal space to plant a kiss on her cheek, hugging her longer than he should but she allowed it because it didn’t make her uncomfortable, just slightly worried that he would delve back into his desire, this time stronger.  She knew him well enough to know that he would be very hurt to find that she had brushed him off only to turn around and have sex with his cousin.  He didn’t register nor deal with his feelings very well and she hated to find out what he would do if he found out about her and Rey.  

 

Phasma was slightly nervous while she drove to Hux’s house with her case of beer.  She had wished she had discussed with Rey what they were going to do about ‘meeting for the first time’ in front of the others but they had been so wrapped up in ‘doing the right thing’ by basically running away from each other that neither one stopped to think how to play this one out.  She pulled up to the house, hefting her case with her as she walked up the stairs to the front porch.  Before she had a chance to knock, the door flung open and Hux stared back at her with a wide grin to his thin, pale face.

“Phasma!”  He cried out, ushering her in with giant waves of his long arms.  “Jesus, you look like you need a beer.  Get your sweet ass inside.”

“Huxie.”  She replied, giving him a quick peck on his cheek.  He closed the door behind her and beckoned her to follow him through the house.

“I haven’t given you a proper tour of the house, have I?”  He asked.  She had missed his northern accent in her ear as he whined about work on the daily.  He ushered her through, showing her the bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, living rooms, entertainment room and basement gym.  He showed her ‘Ben’s cousins’ room, which Phasma took more interest in, noting how the walls were mostly barren but the colors she chose were warm.  There were a lot of books strewn around on a desk in the corner as well as a laptop perched open, waiting for commands.  No one seemed to be in the house but them.

“Where is everyone?”  Phasma asked.

“Out back.  C’mon.”

Hux led Phasma outside, the group of twenty chattering in mild decibels until Phasma showed up and most of them raised their hands in the air and shouted.

“Phasma!”  She hadn’t seen any of them in a month while she had been in Naboo.  Little Dolpheld came running to her, jumping into her arms as he pretended to be mad drunk.

“Carry me, Phasma!”  He laughed.  She chuckled and slung him over her shoulder like she had the last time she saw him, carrying him to the table where most of the others sat.  Phasma happened to glance over and catch Rey’s eye.  They both looked quickly away.

“You’re such a lightweight, Mitaka.”  Phasma told him as she put him down on the ground.

“I never thanked you for taking me home.”  Dolpheld replied.  “Luckily, Ben got a picture of the moment.”  Ben took this time to come to her, welcoming her home with a full hug and a lingering kiss on her cheek.  As they were the tallest of their friends, Phasma barely an inch taller, it was a solid fit as he held her a moment too long, smiling at her with his two-day scruff.

“Ben.”  She acknowledged, her hand placed on his bare bicep, which hardened at her touch as she pushed him away.

“Phasma.”  He responded.

“You didn’t take Mitaka back home with you, Phasma?”  Hux teased.  “You could have put him on the end of your bed like a little teddy bear.”

“He’s already my little teddy bear.”  She said, ruffling his hair.

“Hey!”  Dolpheld pretended to protest.

“You should have seen me walking with him slung over my shoulder towards his apartment.  There was a couple that stopped and stared at us.  Probably thought I was going to go rape him or something.”

“I wish!”  Dolpheld laughed.  Phasma went on ruffling his hair and he wrenched his head away affectionately.

“Hey, Phasma, have you met Poe yet?”  Ben called to her.  Phasma walked over to a handsome man at least five inches shorter than her.  He seemed quite interested in meeting her.

“Not yet.  I’m Phasma.”  She greeted him.

“Poe.  Poe Dameron.”  He said, taking her hand into a firm shake.

“You work with Ben, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Radar tech also?”

“Pilot, actually.”

“Oh, that’s quite neat!”  Phasma smiled.  She felt a hand at her arm as she was steered away from Poe and faced a nice looking man who was barely older than a boy.

“This is Finn.”  Ben said.  “He took the room you would have had.”

“Way to make this awkward, Ben.”  Phasma rolled her eyes, taking Finn’s hand.  “It’s nice to meet you.”  She told him.

“Likewise.”  Finn replied with a beaming smile.  “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh?  I hope the words have been kind…”  Phasma joked, looking back at Ben who shifted his eyes away in embarrassment.

“Of course!  Ben and Hux talk about you all the time.”

“And this lovely woman over here…”  Ben said, directing Phasma down the line towards the end of the table.  “This is my cousin, Rey.”  Rey was sitting down at the picnic table, patiently waiting for her turn to be greeted.  There was a tense moment between them as they locked eyes for the first time, Rey’s hand protruding out in welcome.

“We’ve met before.”  Phasma said.  She could see Rey widen her eyes, glancing over at her cousin for his reaction before moving back on Phasma.  “We played beer pong.”

“Ah, right!”  Rey replied, her smile now beaming.  “You’ve got a mean bounce.”

“Not mean enough.  I still lost.”  Phasma teased.  She saw Rey blush in memory at having earned Phasma as her reward.

“Barely.  We should play again some time.”  Rey replied.  Her tone definitely seemed to be insinuating something.  Phasma felt a heat crawl along her face.

“I need your help.”  Hux said as he came over and grabbed Phasma by the arm, dragging her away from Ben and Rey.

“What the-…?”  Phasma stumbled.  “Where are we going?”

“I need someone strong.  I can’t get this bag of charcoal from off the top of the shelf.”

“You couldn’t get Ben to do it?  He’s the one who probably put it there.”

“No.  I want you to do it.”  Hux demanded.  Ever since they were kids he had always been so bossy, and though she would huff at his audacity she never once defied him.  He was her best friend and she was his.  There was no one she was more comfortable around than Armitage Hux.

“You’re ridiculous, Huxie.”

“Thank you, Phas.  Now if you’re quite done, get that bloody bag down here so I can cook up the bratwurst.”  He said.  Phasma stood at attention, giving him a firm salute before reaching up with her strong arms and bringing the large bag of charcoal down.  As she handed it to him she noticed a hint of wonderment in his eye and she stopped dead to address it.

“Okay,” she sighed. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“I think you should try to steer clear of Ben while Jessica is here.”  He said, talking about Ben’s girlfriend that Phasma happened to see sitting at the table when she entered the backyard.

“That’s not on me.”  Phasma scowled.  “I’m not the one instigating anything.”

“I know, but Jessica is clearly intimidated and threatened by you.  I have never known Ben to be in a good relationship and, while this one doesn’t seem all that fired up, it at least doesn’t seem toxic.”

“I promise nothing as I’ve done nothing.”  Phasma replied, but noting the pursed lips of her friend she rolled her eyes and conceded.  “But if it makes you feel better, I will avoid him for the afternoon.”

“Thank you.”  Hux casually sniped.

“It’s not even like it once was.”  Phasma remarked as she followed him out the door of the shed.  “He used to be way more forward with me.  He’s not like that anymore.  He’s over it.”

“He is NOT over it.”  Hux crassed.  He looked like a dolt, carrying the giant bulk bag of charcoal across the backyard to the grill.  She had to keep herself from grabbing it out of his wiry little hands like a white knight to his dainty damsel in distress.

There was nothing more to be said about it.  Phasma said a nice hello to Jessica, who was kind enough to say hello back in a sweet smile but refused to engage with her, rather wrapping her arms through one of Ben’s in a show of ownership.  Phasma didn’t like that Jessica felt she had to be this defensive around her.  How did she even know Ben had once fancied her?  It was all in the past and she was irritated with whoever it was that had told her.

She ended up sitting with Poe Dameron.  They had a lot to talk about as they both found they enjoyed the outdoors and fast vehicles.  She found she liked him quite a lot and he seemed to be charmed by her though the feelings were purely platonic.

Later that night, Phasma sat by the fire with Hux at her side as they regaled each other with memories, laughing at all the stupid trouble they had got themselves in when they were teenagers.

“Your dad was so mad at us.”  Phasma chuckled as she recounted a story in which she and Hux had accidentally crashed the Hux family golf cart into one of the water hazards.

“I got the brunt of the punishment!  By this time he already thought you walked on water.”  Hux joked, pointing at her accusingly.

“You exaggerate.”  She waved a dismissive hand at him.  It was true that she got along better with Brendol Hux than his son Armitage did.  Armitage had a lot of issues with his father that gave them a slightly strained relationship, though it wasn’t enough to push Armitage fully away nor to cause Brendol to shun him in the family empire.  Phasma, however, was always welcome in the Hux family estate after she and Hux had become best friends at the tender age of eleven.  Brendol was impressed with the tall, intellectual child even then as she showed aptitude with whatever challenge he gave her.

“Did you spend a lot of time at Hux’s house?”  Rey inquired as she sat by, listening to them laugh with each other.

“She was at my house more than I was!”  Hux exclaimed.  “I was sent off to camp one summer and come back to find out that Phasma had been practically living in my room while I was gone.  There were seventeen other bedrooms she could have chosen from but no, she took mine.”

“It was the only room I was comfortable in!”  Phasma retorted.

“How did that happen?”  Poe asked.

“I forgot he was at camp.  He was supposed to be gone almost a month and I was a very lonely girl then.”

“We were like, what, thirteen?”  Hux interrupted.

“Yeah, I think so.  Thirteen.  Anyway, I rode my bike to the estate, which is like ten miles from town…”

“But you did it all the time.”

“Yeah, I did it all the time.  But that time you weren’t there and I was really upset about it cause not only was Hux not there but I was mad that I wouldn’t see you for so long and now I had to ride my bike all the way back to town with no resolve.”

“And you had a shitty bike back then.”

“I found it in a junk yard.  I had to fix the chain all the damned time.”

“It was like this weird, uh…puce?  Was it puce colored?”

“It was like a purplish brown.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said.  Puce.”

“Puce?  That’s what that means?”  Phasma asked.

“Uh, back to the topic.”  Poe replied.  “How come you stayed there?”

“Oh, right.  Anyway, Hux’s dad…Brendol…happens to be driving up in his fancy car and he knows me because I spent Christmas at the house that year, but he doesn’t know me all that well.”

“Ugh, my dad was always like, what’s your friend Phasma doing?  And, does your friend Phasma want to come with us to the cabin?  You would think you were his son.”

“We’re not getting into this again, Hux.”  Phasma told him.  Hux splayed his hands up in no contest.  “Brendol had taken me hunting before and I think he was impressed at how well I could shoot.”

“And that you gutted that deer.”

“Yeah, that definitely bowled him over.  So, he’s like ‘hey, what’s wrong, Captain?’”

“Let’s make a note here.”  Hux interrupted.  “My dad has called her Captain since the day she became captain of our little league team.”

“And I tell him that I almost got beat up…”

“But actually you beat them up.”

“I was defending myself, Armitage!”  Phasma scowled at him.  She never called him Armitage unless she was irritated with him.  “I didn’t like it, you know.”

“I know, Phas.  Sorry.”  Hux shirked.

“So he asks where my dad is but he’s away again.  I can’t remember where this time.”

“I think that was when he went to Canto Bight.”

“Was that it?  I think you might be right.  Anyway, Brendol tells me I can stay at the estate a while until my dad comes back.  Now, he and I both know that we don’t know when that’s going to be.  It could be weeks.  Even months.”

“What did your dad do for work?”  Poe asked, heavily invested in Phasma’s past.

“He didn’t work.  He was a deadbeat.  He kept leaving my brother and I alone while he would go gamble any money he had in the casinos.”  She told him before continuing.  “Where was I?  Oh, and then after that I stayed with the Hux’s almost the entire time that Hux was gone at his rich people camp.”

“Hey!  It wasn’t a rich people camp.”  Hux protested.

“It was in Hosnian Prime.  Where rich people send their kids to camp.  All you did there was eat Kajian lobster and have etiquette balls.”  Phasma laughed.

“Yeah, well, I come back and all my posters on my walls are replaced by pictures of flashy cars and motorcycles.”

“Your posters were awful.  I made your room livable.”  Phasma teased.

“You’re such a cunt!”  Hux laughed.  “I still have no idea where you put that poster of Jyn Erso.”

“I bet it’s still hidden in your estate.”  Phasma laughed.  “I forgot to go check if it was still in the hiding place I put it last time I was there.”

“What did you do there while Hux was gone?”  Rey asked.

“She mowed the lawn.”  Hux answered for her.  Phasma laughed and Poe and Rey looked at each other not knowing whether to believe him.  He could sense their skepticism and he nodded his head and clarified.  “I mean it.  She mowed the lawn.  She also did some light landscaping, worked in the laundry room, washed the cars and the helicopter…”

“I went to work in the morning.  I had a job in an ice cream shop on the boardwalk.”  Phasma replied.  “But, yeah, I also worked around the estate, mostly because I didn’t want Brendol to feel taken advantage of.  I was afraid he would think I was using his son for his money and then using him for a place to go so I asked around to see if anyone would let me help.  I put it under the guise of I wanted to learn and that basically helped put everyone’s mind at ease about putting a guest to work.”

“Joe was all about tagging you onto that mower.”

“I don’t care!  I loved mowing the lawn.  It was fun to ride that thing around on the ultra green grass.”

“Mads was pretty happy to have you on board too.”

“Oh, Mads was the helicopter pilot.  He let me help him wash the chopper and then he began taking me on flights with him.  He’d let me ride in the copilot seat.”

“Where did you guys go?”  Poe asked.

“Usually just to drop off or pick up Brendol at the studios.”

“You did the laundry too?”

“Yeah.  I did everything.  Except cook.  I pretty much stayed out of the kitchen.”

“Why?”

“I had no interest in it.”

“Still doesn’t.”  Hux replied.  “She could make veal taste like rotten wampa.”  He and Phasma laughed hysterically, apparently remembering some inside joke.  “Though you do grill a mean steak.”

“It’s cooking outdoors over an open flame.  I’m bound to be good at it.”

“That you are.  As you are with everything else.”  Hux nodded.  Phasma happened to flinch her eyes over to Rey who was staring thoughtfully at her from across the flames of the fire pit.  She saw a small nod of her head in agreement, possibly recalling last night and Phasma felt a blush cross her cheeks.

Rey had been mostly quiet throughout the night.  She socialized with the others in the group, generally keeping by Finn’s side, who seemed to be her closest friend.  As Phasma looked over at Rey, she was struck by how beautiful she was in the flickering light of the fire.  The orange glow highlighted her brown hair, making her eyes dance with the flares, her skin washed in warmth.  Phasma felt her body yearn for her, wanting to touch her again like she had only a mere twenty-four hours ago, before she had known how forbidden Rey was to her.  Now that she did know, it ignited something animalistic in her, a predatory sense of wanting what she couldn’t have.  Rey seemed intent to maintain their eye contact, her boldness speaking volumes to Phasma as she held her gaze, lips twitching in a teasing smile, locked in a staring match.  It was Phasma who finally looked away first, feeling the burn of loss and desire flare through her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading all the way to this point and especially to those who left kudos! I very much appreciate it!


	4. Let's Just Be Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an explosive start, it's time to begin the slow burn.

On Monday, Phasma was approached by one of the directors she often worked with on the television show she was currently contracted out to.  Outland Base was a large show with a large following, running through it’s third season and still gaining traction with it’s base.

“Can you sword fight?”  Krennic asked her.

“Eh, I have had some training but I don’t know how it would translate onto the screen.”  She told him.  “Though I’d be willing to give whatever you have in mind a shot.”

“That’s my girl.”  Krennic replied.  She was sent to the fight coordinators who reviewed her footwork and swordplay and deemed it good enough to put her in place of one of the actors.  She would have to be trained a little more throughout the week in between her other stunt work but by the time Friday rolled around, she was suited up and given a heavy sword.  As soon as Krennic yelled action, Phasma clashed with another stuntman in full sci-fi armor as they parried back and forth on a set resembling a run down space freighter.  Their first take had no mistakes and they spent all day getting different angles of the fight until it was late at night and the director yelled cut and print for the last time.

As she walked back to her car, she happened to see Rey come out of a door to one of the studios, both of them making eye contact at the same time.

“Hi!”  Rey said after her initial surprise.

“Hey.”  Phasma smiled.

“You finally done for the day?”

“Yeah, you?”

“Yes.  I’ve been run ragged all day.”

“Want to walk me to my car?”  Phasma asked.  “I might need someone to make sure I get there all right.”

“That I can definitely do.”  Rey laughed.  She stepped in line with Phasma as they headed to the parking lot.  “So, I heard you’re a stuntwoman.”  She said after a moment of silence, making small talk.

“Yeah.  I just fell into it.  It wasn’t anything I had thought about doing as a kid.”

“Really?  I would think being a stuntwoman would be a cutthroat job.”

“It is, but that’s the benefit of having a best friend like Hux.”

“Yeah, that’s true.  He’s the one that got me this job.”  Rey admitted.  “What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t doing stunts?”

“I assume I would still be with the crime lab.”  Phasma said.  Rey turned to her with wide eyes.

“You worked in a crime lab?”

“Yeah.  DNA lab, to be more precise.  But I ended up getting a gig that would take me out for a month and then when the stunt work kept coming I just called up my supervisor and told him I wasn’t coming back.”

“Ever think you might go back to the lab?”

“If the work ever dries up, sure.  But I love it too much.  I didn’t even know I could dream about it until I was suddenly thrust into it.  What about you?  Are you an actress?”

“No.  I can see why you would think that since most production assistants are aspiring actors.  I’m actually hoping to be a screenwriter.”

“A screenwriter?  That’s very interesting!”  Phasma exclaimed.  “Have you written something yet?”

“I’ve written many things.”  Rey nodded.  “If I’m not at work then I’m writing.  I can’t not write, you know?  It’s just something I have to do.”

“I’ve heard that from most of the writers I know.”  Phasma said.  “The ones who make it all have that mentality.”

“Even the ones who don’t make it, have it.  I just hope I catch a break someday.”  Rey said as Phasma reached her 4Runner.

“Where’s your car?”  Phasma asked her, unlocking the doors with the button on her key alarm.  “I’ll give you a ride to it.”

“I don’t have a car .  I took the bus.”  Rey said.  “The stop is just over there.  I can walk.”

“What?  You took the bus?  I can give you a ride home.”

“Are you going in that direction?”

“I live less than five minutes from your house.  I’m practically passing your front door.”

“Well, if it’s no bother.”

“None at all.  Hop in.”

“Thanks!”  Rey said as she got into the passenger seat.

“Anytime.”  Phasma smiled at her.  Rey gave her a tormented look, shaking her head with a wide grin.

“I haven’t been able to return the favor yet, you know.”

“I don’t know that you ever will.”  Phasma relayed.  It was clearly not something Rey wanted to hear.  She turned her head to look out her window, a frown crossing her fair face.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this but I still think about last Friday a lot.”  Rey replied in a more sombre tone.  “I think about the first night I kissed you too.”

“Do you?”  Phasma inquired, wanting to know more.

“Yes.”  Was all Rey offered.  She seemed resigned not to say more and Phasma figured that to get her to open up, she would have to divulge a little of her own.

“I do too.”  Phasma committed.  Rey turned to face her, a hope of belief weathered on her face.  “You’re quite an unbelievable kisser.”

“Me?  That was all you.  You literally swept me off my feet.”  Rey laughed.  She turned back to the window, glancing out as Phasma drove through the studio towards the exit.  “I can see why Ben loves you.”

“Ben doesn’t love me.”  Phasma answered dismissively.

“Doesn’t he?”  Rey asked.  “He talks about you all the time.  I can tell it drives Jessica up the wall.  In fact when I moved down here I thought you were Ben’s girlfriend.  I’d never heard him talk about Jessica before.”

“I don’t think he and Jessica have been together all that long.”

“They’ve been together ten months.”

“Really?  Has it been that long?”  Phasma responded, frowning in thought.  “Time flies, I guess.”

“Have you and Ben ever…?”  Rey started, trailing off when she thought she might offend her.

“What?  Slept together?  Not at all.”

“I kind of thought you hadn’t.  I would think that would be all he would talk about if you had.  He does talk about sharing a tent with you for a solid week.”

“Oh, when we went to Tatooine?  Yeah, we did but nothing ever happened.”

“I know.  He’s said as much.  I don’t think he would mention that if it wasn’t true.”  Rey said.  “Hux talks about you a lot but it’s completely different than how Ben does.”

“What does Hux say about me?”

“He says you’re great at everything and that you were his favorite roommate.  Even though he never speaks badly about you and sure as hell won’t let anyone else do so, I kind of get the sense he’s jealous of you.”

“Yeah, he’s admitted to me as much.”  Phasma shrugged.  “Don’t dwell on it and definitely don’t let him know.  I don’t want anything coming between us.  He’s my best friend and I trust him completely not to let something like jealousy drive a wedge into our friendship.”

“Yeah, I can tell he loves you.  Not like Ben but he’s really protective of you.”

“He’s my boy.  Always has been.”

“Also, you really bring out the wild side of Hux, which basically translates to mild ruffling.”

“Haha!  Right?  He’s straight laced, for sure.  I love him for that.  He keeps me grounded.”  Phasma said.  

Rey asked about her friendship with Hux and then Phasma asked Rey about her life on the ranch.  Rey talked about her Uncle Han and her Aunt Leia, who helped raise her when her father Luke suddenly became ill.  She had grown up with Ben like he was a brother until he left for Coruscant when she was nineteen.  For the next four years he would write to her, coming home every now and then to talk about his friends Hux and Phasma.  

Ben talked about Phasma a lot.  Rey knew about Phasma being a stuntwoman, working mostly on the Outland Base show, that she was six foot three and liked to play outdoors, that she once had a pet mongoose and that she had spent a summer with Hux’s uncle taming horses.  

Ben also talked about Rey a lot.  Phasma knew she was the youngest person to win her local spelling bee and that she wielded a farming staff very well and that Ben loved her like a sister, protecting her in his own way.  Rey laughed at all the things Phasma knew, including the time she had gone into a cave near their ranch to look for a lost sheep and had gotten lost, spending the night in the darkness before emerging the next morning with her sheep after finding her bearings.  Her Aunt Leia practically died in worry.  Phasma finally got to hear it from Rey’s point of view and it was as amazing a story as she had thought it might be.  Finally, they pulled up to the house, Phasma putting her 4Runner in park and turning to face Rey.  There were no street lights on this corner of the house and they were mostly shrouded in darkness except for light beams emanating from the window of the house.  Rey opened the door to get out, half mustering a thank you before catching Phasma’s eye and pausing in mid motion.  She maintained eye contact with Phasma, that one smoldering stare causing a welling of desire to rise within her.

“What?”  Phasma asked her with a coy smile.  Rey shifted back into her seat, closing the door again so that they were alone in the quiet of her car.

“I’m attracted to you, you know.”  Rey stated.  Phasma felt a lifting in her heart, the breath practically sucked out of her lungs.

“You are the most gallant person I know.”

“I swear to you, I am never this forward.  It’s like I can’t help it.  I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you across the room at the party.  How could I not notice?  You were the tallest one there.  Your blonde hair and silver jacket were begging to be seen.”

“You have the air of a writer.”  Phasma observed with a shy smile.

“I told you that because it’s the last time you’ll hear it from me.  Ever since Uncle Han and Ben have stopped talking to each other he’s been so angry.  He’s pretty stuck on you even if he doesn’t want to be and I know it’ll thrust him out in the deep if he finds out we had sex.  He’s practically my brother and I’m not going to add to the drama in his life.”

“Are you going to be avoiding me now?  Like Ben did all last summer?”  Phasma asked.

“Not if you want me to.”

“No, that’s not what I want.”

“Then I won’t be avoiding you.  I am going to treat you like my cousin’s friend though, and nothing more.”

“I understand.”  Phasma replied, hiding her disappointment.  While she was only just getting to know Rey, she could feel herself increasingly drawn to the smaller woman and now this abrupt cut from their budding romance struck her like a knife in the heart.  This wasn’t the choice she would have made but it was better this way so as not to upset what they had now.  She would get to keep Ben as a friend and she would still get to see Rey around, though not in the context she truly wanted but it was still better than nothing.  Rey nodded to her and made to open the door again.

“Wait, Rey…”  Phasma stopped her.  While Rey sat staring at her in anticipation, Phasma leaned over, her height sufficient enough to come close enough to Rey for her to mimic with minimal effort.  Phasma touched her lips to Rey’s, closing her eyes and feeling the sensation of Rey’s lips enveloping hers in a gentle kiss before forming into a slow, heated exchange, mouths open and welcoming, noses pressed together as they caressed the other.  All too quickly, Phasma had to draw herself away, taking every ounce of willpower to do so.  Rey huffed out in joyous surprise.

“I will never stop wanting that.”  She said.  “Too bad we can’t let it happen again.”

“It really is too bad.”  Phasma agreed, trying to convince herself this was the last time.  Rey uttered a thank you and a good bye before letting herself out.  She waved to her as she entered the house and Phasma drove off, unable to slow the pace of her heart.


	5. Rey's Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The binds are starting to snap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's glaringly obvious that the timeline for the Outland Base show is completely out of whack, but for story purposes I made it so that each episode is shot about two months before it's premiered. Even though Phasma is still doing work on the current season, it's already being shown on television. Also, this show apparently has stupidly long seasons, again, for story purposes. Please try to disregard these inconsistencies.

True to her word, Rey changed the way she treated Phasma.  When they were around their friends, they talked casually about families and friends, and they did not touch or flirt or stare.  For the next few months Phasma would come over to the house at the behest of Hux and hang out with her old and new friends.  She got to know Rey a little better through the context of their new friendship, though nothing could quell the attraction she had for her.  Phasma often gave Rey rides to and from work, their conversations easy and full of laughter.  The warmth Phasma felt around Rey was inviting, verging on the breadth of a volcano.  Though it became more difficult everyday, she made plenty of effort to make sure she did not fall into the chasm of Rey’s charm.  After a while, Phasma actually thought that Rey was no longer attracted to her anymore as she never showed a hint of interest.

Ben wasn’t so discreet about his attraction to Phasma as Rey was, especially when Jessica wasn’t around.  He still complimented Phasma all the time, giving her quick pecks on her cheek and hugging her at inopportune times.  Anytime Phasma caught Hux’s eye he would silently bid her not to allow it and she would shrug, not wanting to hurt his feelings as he was susceptible to depression.  

Five months into his lease, Finn was showing signs of wanting to bail.  There was something upsetting him but he wouldn’t acknowledge it to anyone else.  Phasma did notice that he and Rey, who had been so close previously, were now keeping their distance.

Poe was Poe.  Phasma got along with him quite well and there were no problems as far as she could tell with him.  He got up, went to work, came back, hung out with the group, charmed everyone and then went to bed to do the same thing over again.  He seemed content with his life, which made it easy to be with him because he didn’t whine.

Rey was exactly who she said she was.  When she wasn’t at work, she was writing.  Sometimes she didn’t even come out of her room to hang out and Phasma would walk by her room, hearing the light tapping of her laptop at a furious typing pace.

Hux was, unfortunately, going through a crisis.  His father was always at the heart of his problems and there were a few nights that Phasma came over and listened to him bitch about how his father had emasculated him in some way again in front of the other execs at the studio.  

“He did it on purpose.”  Hux would say for the hundredth time.  “My father is trying to get me to quit.”

“Why would he do that?”  Phasma would always defend.  “He’s the one that pushed you to get your business degree so that you could take over his position.”

“I should have been an architect, not a studio exec…”  Hux would wail and Phasma would break out the wine, both drinking straight from the bottle until Hux felt better.  On one particular night though, Hux simply dropped off to sleep.  Phasma tucked him in and seeing it was already past midnight, slept on the other side of the bed.

The next morning, Phasma woke up before Hux, smoothing down his soft, red hair as he slept, getting out of bed and walking straight to the bathroom.  Hux, who actually owned the mortgage on the house, was the only one who got his own bathroom, so at least she had that privacy.  When she came out, Hux was lying with his arms over his eyes, brows furrowed in an attempt to block the morning.

“Rise and shine, Huxie.”  She said in his ear.

“Fuck that.”  He groaned.  She chuckled, leaving him be and opened the door to his room right as Rey was walking down the hall, already dressed for work.  The brunette shot Phasma a wide-eyed look, glancing into Hux’s room as she passed in curiosity.

“Hey, Rey.”  Phasma said.

“Hi.”  Rey returned.  “Uh…?”

“We’re not sleeping together.”  Phasma remarked casually.

“That’s really none of my business.”  Rey responded.

“I’m not defending myself.”  Phasma laughed.  “I’ve had to utter those words about us no less than a hundred times over the course of our lives.”  Rey smiled, maybe either amused or relieved, Phasma couldn’t tell.  They headed down to the kitchen together, the only ones in the house awake.  They sat and ate cereal, talking about the highs and lows of working at a studio when Ben came down wearing sweat pants and a white tank top.  He startled when he saw Phasma, his arms suddenly flexing of their own accord.

“Hey, Phas.”  He said as casually as he could.

“Ben.”  She returned.  He grabbed his own bowl of cereal and sat next to her at the counter, disturbingly close.  

“Jesus, Ben, any closer and you’d be on the other side of me.”  Phasma remarked in a sort-of-joking way, inching away from him.

“Sorry, Phas.”  He attempted a laugh, making no attempt to distance the space between them.  “I can’t help that I’ve gained more mass.”  Phasma took a look at him, squaring him up.  His hair was crazier than usual and his eyes looked remote.  Dark bags hung under his lids and his skin seemed more pale.  He almost looked sick.

“You, uh…you doing okay?”  She asked casually.  As much as she wanted to help her friend, she didn’t think she was the appropriate person nor in the position to do so.  She was already emotionally drained with Hux but she couldn’t let Ben think she didn’t care either.

“Sure.”  Ben shrugged.

“How’s work?”

“Eh, you know…it’s radar.”

“How’s Jess?”

“Fine.”  Ben replied before focusing sudden sharp black eyes at her.  “Why?”

“Just wondering, that’s all.  Haven’t seen her around.”

“She’s been busy with work.”

There was a tenseness in the air between herself and Ben.  Phasma looked over at Rey and was not surprised to see the worry in her eyes.  What was surprising was how that look struck within Phasma a longing to hold Rey in her arms and let her know everything was going to be alright whether she knew it would be or not.  She shook the thought out of her head because she had told herself to get over Rey and especially since Rey was the person least in need of support.  It was not lost on her that Ben probably felt the same way for her as she felt for Rey.  Damned love triangles…

She excused herself on the pretense that she had to go back home and get changed before going to work that morning.  Before leaving the kitchen, Finn entered and didn’t even say hello to her, only glancing at Rey and skittering back out like a rat in a maze.  

 _Oh my god,_ she thought _ _,_ I’m in a real life soap opera._

 

The season premiere of Outland Base was that Thursday.  Hux always liked to make a big deal out of it if Phasma was in the episode.  Luckily for him, Phasma was actually in two scenes as two different people.

“Is that one you?”  Poe asked excitedly as the white armored sci-fi soldiers fought with laser swords against the outland base crew.

“The one on the right is me.”

“Wait, you’re telling me you’re the tall soldier?”  Ben laughed.  Phasma noticed Jessica wrap her hand around his arm possessively.

“Hard to believe, right?”

The group rang out in ecstatic hollers as they watched the scene play out.  Phasma felt an elbow in her rib and turned to catch Hux’s eye as he looked back at her, pointing at the screen with a wide grin crossing his mouth.

“Eh…?”  He kept pointing.

“Yes, I know.  I was there.”

“You’re much better than that other soldier.”

“I won’t be telling Wedge you said that.”

“I’m just proud of you, that’s all.”  He replied.  She pulled him in and gave him a sloppy kiss on his thin, freckled cheek.

“Hey you two,”  Mitaka scowled.  “Get a room.”

“I own the house.”  Hux snarked.  “I’ve got a room and you’re in it.”

“You’re pretty good with that sword.”  Rey commented.  Phasma was uncomfortable with the way her heart sailed at her words.

“Thanks!  I had been practicing all week.”

“It shows.  You look like a natural.”

The scene transitioned to the outland base lieutenant making a getaway on a hovering speeder.

“Is that you?”  Finn asked as the lieutenant dodged trees while being chased by the planet’s large cave beasts.

“No…”  Phasma replied slowly until the lieutenant’s speeder suddenly crashed into a stump and she went flying head over heels into a bush.  “That’s me.”

“Ooooh!”  The group hissed in sympathetic response.

“That looked like it hurt.”  Hux grimaced.

“No worse than a cricket bat to the ass.”  She replied, and the group looked on at Phasma and Hux in confusion as they giggled hysterically over some shared past thought.

 

It was Rey’s twenty-fourth birthday.  The usual crew gathered outside in the backyard for a small party that Sunday.  It was a hot day and Hux pulled out a large inflatable pool big enough to fit eight adults.

“Why does this house not already have a real pool?”  Mitaka complained.

“Shut up and get in the water.”  Hux told him.  Phasma had not brought her swimsuit and preferred not to take up one and a half people worth of room in the pool so she opted to stay out at Hux’s protest.  While the others were in the pool, Phasma decided to clean up the food.  She was busy stowing the charcoal back in the shed when she spied a staff in the corner that she had never noticed before.  Curiously she took it in her hands, feeling the surprising weight of it balanced beneath her palms.

“Care to try it?”

Phasma whipped around, soft brown eyes staring thoughtfully back at her in amusement.

“I’ve never used a farming staff before.”  Phasma told Rey.

“If you can handle a sword you can handle a staff.  I’ll show you how.”  Rey replied, beckoning her towards the open space in the backyard.  She grabbed another farming staff on her way out and Phasma felt compelled to follow.

They were outside of view from the others in the pool while Rey showed Phasma how to wield the staff and how to use it.  Phasma felt a glow within her at getting this undivided attention from Rey.  They were often alone in her car when they went to work but there was something more intimate about this moment.  Perhaps because she was getting a glimpse into Rey’s skills rather than just hearing about it.

Within minutes, Rey was knocking at her staff in a half attempt to wrack it out of her hands.  Phasma found her experience with swords easily transitioned into implementing the staff.  It wasn’t long before they were sparring, though it was apparent to anyone that Rey was the superior fighter.  At first Rey went easy on her but Phasma was always a believer of baptism by fire and she encouraged the smaller woman to strike harder and faster.  Rey obliged, her eyes taking on an excitement as she whipped her staff around and pushed Phasma into full defense.  Phasma did well to keep up but she was not seasoned with the staff and Rey knocked it out of her hands several times.  Phasma picked it back up, longing to see that spark of joy within Rey after each win.

Phasma was a quick learner and already having hand-to-hand combat experience, she was able to grapple with Rey that caused the brunette to struggle against her.  The exhilaration it brought Rey, to have this rare challenge, was evident enough to cause Phasma to pause in a flare of desire, enough for her to be caught off-guard by a wild strike.  Phasma felt the staff hit her in the chest, knocking her back into a stumble.  Before falling, Phasma grabbed the staff, lurching Rey towards her when she didn’t let go fast enough.  Rey recovered quickly and just barely retained her balance, laughing as she pushed into Phasma to deliver the final blow.  Phasma fell backwards onto her back, landing in the soft grass below, surprised when Rey jumped onto her, placing her hands at her wrists and holding her down.

“I win.”  Rey smiled from above her, the sun silhouetting her strong, wiry body against the sky.

“I let you.  Happy birthday.”  Phasma breathed out, intoxicated by Rey’s image.  Phasma was aware of her body straddled by Rey’s at her waist.  Her torso was much longer than Rey’s and she was all but laying on her to keep her pinned to the ground.  They were both breathing heavily at the exertion of their exercise, staring deep into each others eyes, both conveying the same message when their gazes drifted to mouths.  Instead of moving away, Rey began to hover closer, their faces near enough that Phasma could feel her breath on her lips.  With another reason for her heart to pound wildly in her chest, she swallowed hard and stayed completely still, not wanting to jar Rey out of this moment.

“Phasma!”  A far away voice came from just beyond the shed.  It was Hux.  Rey jumped off of Phasma and smoothed down her shirt.  Phasma got up off the ground, patting dirt off of herself and grabbing the staffs from off the ground just as Hux turned the corner of the shed and into view.

“There you are!”  He shouted.  He was in his blue swim trunks and flip flops and carrying a few grilling utensils.  If there was anyone who needed more sun than Phasma, it was Hux.  That man couldn’t tan at all.  He was followed by Ben who was in his yellow trunks and looking beefier than usual.  The basement gym did him some good.

“Rey was teaching me to use a farm staff.”  Phasma said too quickly.  Hux gave her an odd look.

“Okay.  That’s nice.  Will you help me carry the picnic table next to the pool?  We need a place to put our drinks.”

“And by help Hux carry the table, he means you and I.”  Ben replied.

“Right.”  Phasma gave Hux an eye roll.

“What?”  Hux questioned.  “Like you thought I’d be the one to do it when I have giants at my disposal?”

 

Phasma and Ben flexed their muscles and carried the heavy lawn table nearer the pool.  As soon as she was near enough, Hux pushed Phasma into the pool fully clothed.  She splashed into the center, practically landing on Poe who laughed while holding his beer over his head lest it fall in as well.

“Goddamn it, Hux!”  She cried out as soon as she emerged from the water.  Hux was doubled over, wheezing over how tickled he got himself.  Phasma grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down beneath the water, causing much of it to splash out over the sides.

“Cannonball!”  Shouted Ben as he launched into the pool.  Another splash of water and the entire pool was nearly drained by these two hulking people.

“Great, Ben.”  Mitaka complained.  “Someone go get the hose.”

It was Rey who went and fetched it.  Phasma happened to catch her eye when she dragged the hose into the pool, filling it back up after the three tallest people managed to filter most of it out of the plastic confines.  The look Rey gave her was merely a roll of her eyes at them, amused by their hi-jinks but there was nothing to indicate she was thinking of five minutes earlier when they were alone and caught in a close embrace.  It had been an anomaly of sorts, Phasma conjectured.  It was nothing to Rey and Phasma tried to make it nothing to her as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's kept up with this so far and especially to those who left kudos and comments! I appreciate it!


	6. Movin' On Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's official. Phasma and Rey are roommates. Day one: Phasma realizes the error of her ways.

“Hey, Phasma!”  Director Krennic called for her on the lot.  Phasma turned, wearing the full sci-fi armor of the Outland base soldiers.  She pulled her helmet off and faced Krennic who came to her with his ‘important’ expression.

“Hey, Krennic.”

“I was thinking I want you for the sword fighting scenes in the next episode but I want more than just swords.  Can you use anything else?  Can you use a shield or an axe or anything?”

Phasma’s thoughts immediately went to yesterday afternoon during Rey’s birthday  Once she brushed the near kiss out of her mind, she was able to focus.

“I might be able to use a bo staff.”  Phasma declared.  Krennic jolted with widened eyes and nodded his head.

“Yeah, that would work!  Go report to the fight coordinators.  I’ll tell them you’re coming.”  Phasma did as she was told, meeting with Peter and Bob, who she knew very well considering half the time she was working she was with them.  The other half of the time it was for car or motorcycle chases.  She showed them what she had learned from Rey yesterday and they broadened her skill, impressed that she already knew how to hold the staff properly.  

Later that day when Phasma was driving Rey back home, she told her about the fight sequence and asked her to practice with her in the backyard after work.  Rey was extremely happy to do so.  They sparred in the backyard every afternoon that week.  The rest of the house occupants would watch them as they fought, intrigued by the amount of effort and fun they were having.  

By the next week, Phasma had choreographed an entire three minute scene with a few other stuntmen.  Because she was the tallest and the only one with a staff, she got the most amount of screen time and intricate moves.  At the end of the shooting sequence, they all looked at the playback and congratulated themselves on a job well done.  

Phasma was so delighted by the outcome that she paged for Rey.   PA Rey came to her as soon as she could and Phasma asked Krennic to show her the playback, crediting Rey for her help.  Rey was so excited to see the footage she practically bounced up and down at the resulting scene.

“There’s that side step I taught you!”  Rey keened, hands clasped together in front of her as   Krennic looked at Rey thoughtfully.

“Aren’t you one of the budding screenwriters?”  He asked her.  Rey looked up at him in surprise.

“Yes!  At least, I’m hoping to get a writing job someday.”

“Hmm…come with me.  I want to introduce you to a few of the other writers.”  He said.  Rey looked back at Phasma as she followed him, hope and joy etched in her features.

 

Finn left before his lease was up.  They could all tell he was unhappy about something though none of them knew or would own up to what it was.  After six months of cohabitation, Finn broke his lease, at the irritation of Hux, and moved in with a buddy of his from work.  While Hux was bothered by Finn leaving, he also found this a great opportunity to pester Phasma into coming to live with him.

“When is your lease up?”  He questioned her in front of the group as they all sat down to watch a movie.

“You know when.”  Phasma told him.  “You keep asking.”

“Well, since you have less than two months on your lease, come live here in the house!  I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

“I don’t need your assistance.  I make a good living.  And are you hinting you’ll break my legs if I don’t?”

“C’mon, Phas!  I know you make a good roommate and I don’t want to have to fill the room with someone that might suck.”

“That was heartfelt.”

“You know I love you.  Besides, you’re already here all the time.  You might as well save the gas money and just live here.”  

The thought did entice her.  She loved Hux and wanted to be nearer to him while he was under this funk that his father had put on him.  The thought of being near Rey all the time also stimulated something within her akin to pressing need.  She glanced to the girl, who was already looking at her curiously.  She couldn’t tell how she might feel about it.  When she looked to Poe he simply smiled and nodded his head encouragingly.  Ben refused to look at her as did Jessica who sat close to him on the couch.

“I’ll have to think about it.”  She said, flashing an appreciative smile at Poe.

“Fine.  But don’t take too long.  I want to get you moved in here soon.”

“You don’t know that I’m going to say yes.”

“Why would you say no?”  Hux asked.  Phasma rolled her eyes at him and turned to the television.

“What are we watching?”  She asked, changing the subject.

“First Order.”  Rey said, holding up the Blu Ray cover.  Phasma groaned.

“Who chose this?”  She asked.

“I did.”  Rey said.  “You don’t like this movie?”

“She’s already seen it at the premiere.”  Hux replied in a hoity-toity tone.  “I’ll point out all the parts she’s in.”

“If it looks like it’s not Jamie, then it’s not Jamie.”  Phasma declared.  “I was his stunt double for this movie since we’re both tall blonds.”

“Yeah, that was actually why I chose it.”  Rey replied as she started the movie.

“I thought we were friends…”  Phasma joked.

“I’m not sure what gave you that impression.”  Rey teased back with a wink.  Phasma smirked, feeling that wink surface a guarded desire within her.  She pushed it back down to the depths of her heart, keeping it imprisoned, hoping it would have no more chances to escape.

 

After the movie, Phasma got Rey alone under the pretext she needed her help in taking something to her car.

“What would you think if I moved into the house?”  She asked her.  “Would that bother you?  Would that be breaking some kind of boundary that I’m not aware of?”

“I think it would be great if you moved in.”  Rey replied casually.  “We’ve clearly got this thing between us quelled enough that I don’t think it would cause any problems.”

“What about Ben though?”

“What about Ben?  He'd probably be glad to have you around more.  If he gets inappropriate you're more than able to handle it.  Plus, Jessica would probably rein him in.”

“Yeah…”  Phasma said, still unsure.  She glanced at Rey with narrowed eyes.  “Just out of curiosity, why did Finn leave?”  Rey turned her head so that Phasma couldn’t see her blushing cheeks.

“I’m not sure.”

“Is that true?”

“No.”

“Did he leave because of you?  Did he want more?”

“It seems you already know the whole story.”

“Not really.  It just seems so obvious now.  You break hearts all over the place.”

“I do not!”  Rey laughed.

“Sure, Finn, that guy from your high school, that intern on the lot, the other PA’s…”  Phasma teased.

“I didn’t know you noticed all that.”

“It’s hard not to notice.  They’re always hanging around you.  I think I’m getting a better sense of that time we played beer pong.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean those guys making bets, wanting to kiss you.  You grabbed me because you wanted a bodyguard.”

“I grabbed you because you’re gorgeous.  But the bodyguard aspect was nice too.”  Rey smirked.  Phasma often thought of that night.  It felt surreal to hear Rey call her gorgeous because it had been five months since the last time she had heard it.  She was pretty sure Rey was over her but sometimes there would peek from the brunette something that would make Phasma wonder if that were true at all.  She chalked it up to wishful thinking, considering she was certainly very attracted to Rey.

“Are you going to take Hux up on his offer?”  Rey asked, the silence between them widening too far for comfort.

“I don’t know yet.  Maybe.”

“Well, for what it’s worth.  I hope you do.”

“Really?  Why’s that?”

“Like Hux said, you practically live here already.  You’d be a great roommate, especially since you’re the one I’d be sharing a bathroom with and I don’t really want to share it with a stranger.  Also, there is the fact you have a car.  I wouldn’t have to take the bus so often.”

“Ah, I see your game.  You need a chauffeur.”  Phasma laughed.

“No, of course not!”  Rey defended with a roll of her smiling eyes.  “But it is a bonus.”

“How about this.  If I come live in the house, will you let me read some of your work?”  Phasma asked.  Though Rey was distributing out many of her scripts to every studio in the area, Ben made sure to relay to everyone not to ask to read them.  Apparently she was incredibly secretive about her work, citing she would only show if she was more confident of her skills, i.e., if she was ever given a job she would be more apt to share.  Phasma was actually surprised when Rey nodded her head in agreement.

“Of course!  I would have let you read some now if you had asked.”

“Ben told me you weren’t letting anyone read them.”

“That’s Ben.  He wouldn’t know good writing if it hit him over the head with a Pulitzer.”  Rey replied.

“You think I would?”

“I see you reading your books all the time on set between takes.  Granted, they’re mostly fighting techniques and motorcycle manuals but I’ve seen you with a classic or two.  I bet you would have a good eye for writing, which is nice because it would be good to get some feedback for my scripts.”

“You’d let me do that?  I’d love to read some of your work.”

“Then move in and I’ll let you read a few.”

“You said I could read them now.”

“I’ve altered the deal.  You can’t read any until you’re completely moved in to the room next to mine.”  Rey smirked.  She was leaned up against the 4Runner, looking up at Phasma with a gleam in her eye and a tease to her tone.  It was the most flirtatious she had been in months and Phasma knew that this lapse of her hard-earned efforts was precarious, especially right before deciding to habitate in a room that shared a wall with this beautiful woman.  But there was no way for Phasma to stop herself.

“Deal.”

 

Phasma moved in the very next week.  Hux offered to let her live there rent free until her lease at her apartment was up just so she didn’t have to pay for two places for a while.  Phasma also knew Hux was being mostly selfish in this regard because he was codependent on Phasma, which was another reason why a man nearly thirty, who could afford to live on his own, opted to buy a house and rent out the rooms.  The man had a fear of isolation.

Phasma and Ben did most of the moving since they were the two strongest of the group.  They barely broke a sweat as they wrestled the bed up the stairs and into Phasma’s room, placing it against the wall that she shared with Rey.  On the other side was Rey’s bed and Phasma couldn’t stop thinking to herself how they would be practically within arm’s reach every night.

On her first night in the house, Rey came to her bedroom, handing her a USB.

“This is the latest script I’ve been handing out.”  She told Phasma.  “I hope it doesn’t suck.”  Phasma read it on her laptop right away, reading the entire thing in one sitting while the clicking of Rey’s keyboard droned on in the next room over.  It was two in the morning when Phasma went over to Rey’s room, the lights still on and the typing still commencing.  She knocked on the door and entered when Rey called.

“This was fantastic!”  Phasma exclaimed, holding the USB up in the air before placing it onto the desk next to her.

“You already read the whole thing?”  Rey asked in astonishment.

“Yeah.  It was incredibly fun to read!”  Phasma replied excitedly.  “I especially liked the part when the little bears use their little bear tricks to take out the AT walkers.”

“Thanks!  This is the part where I ask you what could be improved.”

“Nothing.  It was perfect!”

“No, you can’t do that.  I can’t become a better writer without constructive criticism.”

“I really don’t know.  I’d have to sleep on it to see any problems with it, know what I mean?”

“I do.  I’ll ask again later.”

“All right.  Thanks for letting me read it.”

“Sure.  Anytime.”  Rey winked.  Phasma stopped and stared at her, noting the teasing glare in Rey’s eye before slowly letting a smile perch on her lips.  She turned to leave, looking back at Rey who was already typing away on her computer again, the thirst for her beginning to parch her throat.  She gave a cursory glance at Rey before closing the door on her, able to see the younger woman’s focused eyes on her screen, the wheels turning in her head as she thought out her syntax.  Something in her look reminded Phasma of the night she took Rey into Jamie’s trailer, the brunette's second orgasm overwhelming her at a point when Phasma could stare into her face and admire the beauty of one who submitted entirely into her hands.

Less than twelve hours after she moved in, she was suddenly under a torture that clawed mercilessly at her, begging to see that expression again.  Reminders had been all over the place before but now she was inundated with the memory of Rey before she became ‘Ben’s cousin.’  Phasma went into her own room and closed the door, knocking her head defeatedly against it.  

_Why did I move in here?  God, I’m a fucking idiot._


	7. Feeling at Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phasma and Rey are drawn together like magnets. Like a Force, if you will...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last chapter was crap. Let's start ramping this up.
> 
> Also, I realize there isn't much character development or semblance of the characters' personalities in this story but I'm hoping we all know enough to visualize anyways and then I won't have to write out a better reason why Phasma is so against betraying Ben. Chalk it up to laziness and just wanting to get right to the angst and smut.

Now that Phasma was locked into the lease, what was once a taboo attraction was festering into an intense forbidden desire.  What was most astonishing for Phasma to realize a few days later was that Rey was instigating it.

What had once been a barren bathroom shared between Rey and Finn was now fragrant with silky scents and stocked with an inordinate amount of candles and bubble bath.  Phasma could hear Rey taking baths and the thought of her wet and naked, surrounded by soft lighting supplied Phasma with a new fantasy to discover.

At night, while Phasma lay in bed waiting for sleep, she could hear Rey moving around in the next room, closing her laptop and slipping under the covers.  She often heard her sigh into her pillow, trying to catch the same sleep train.  It always seemed like Rey went to bed right after Phasma did.  After a few nights, it hardly seemed like coincidence.

Rey spent less time working on her computer and more time hanging out with Phasma, though they were hardly ever alone since Ben and Hux were interested in usurping her time as well.  Still, what little time they had together seemed to energize Rey, her fingers lightly touching Phasma at times that hardly seemed warranted.

It was a week later, after Phasma and Ben had finished their gym routine that she finally realized that Rey was not just standing by the bathroom door because she’d just come out.

“Good timing.”  Rey would say as she neared her.  “I just brushed my teeth.  The bathroom is all yours.”  Then Rey’s eyes would glaze over Phasma’s taut arms and legs, toned after a hard morning workout.  Phasma simply thanked her, but everyday she stood longer at the door, letting Rey soak in her form until one day the brunette noticed the blonde not moving and she lightly bit her lip in a teasing smile before sauntering away.

The next day Rey reached out and touched her fingers to Phasma’s triceps, lightly squeezing into the muscle.  The feeling that followed was akin to the heat of a ghost pepper rubbed against the skin.  The burn of it simmered at the point of contact all day.  Phasma couldn’t help but smile every time she focused on it.

 

Phasma fell into a routine with the rest as easily as if she had lived there the whole time.  She would get up every morning, work out in the gym with Ben, eat breakfast, drive herself and Rey to work, perform her duties on set, bring Rey back with her from the studios, make Hux cook supper for her and then either hang out in the entertainment room with Poe or stay in Hux’s room as they talked about everything.  Overall, everyone agreed the house was complete with Phasma in it.

 

It was only two weeks after she had moved into the house that she was approached by Krennic and a few others out of the blue.

“Phasma, we have something to ask you.”  Krennic said as he and the two writers behind him plus the executive producer came up to her.  It felt almost like an intervention.

“What’s going on?”  Phasma asked, glancing curiously at each one in turn.

“We really liked your scene with the quicksilver staff from last episode.”  A writer answered.  Mace Windu.  He was actually the showrunner.  “We want to make a character out of that person.”

“A character?  Like a returning character?”  Phasma questioned, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes.  But better.”  The executive producer replied.  “We’re going to make a soldier like that but with more visibility and with an actual part of a story arc.”

“That’s all up to you.”  Phasma said.  “I’m game for doing the stunt work if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Not just the stunt work.”  Krennic said.  “We want you to be the character.”

“What?”  Phasma flinched back.  “What do you mean?  You want me to act?  I’m not an actress.”

“We’ve got that covered.”  Krennic replied.  “You’ll be masked the whole time and anything your character says will be voiced by the vocoder.  We’ll get another actor to do the voice, but basically we want to make a badass villain out of the soldier you recently played on screen.”

“Well, if that’s all it is, that’s fine.”  Phasma shrugged.  “As long as I’m not expected to act.”

“I knew you’d be my girl.”  Krennic nodded.  “We’re going to make a new suit of armor for you and a new helmet.  Also, I’m getting you with Bob and Peter to learn new fight choreographies for the upcoming episodes.  Go to costume right now.  They’re waiting on you.”

“Already?  Didn’t even wait to see if I would be down with this…”

“That’s because I knew I could rely on you.  Get going!  I’m dying to see how this costume turns out.”

 

Phasma went to costume and they took her measurements, though it seemed odd because this was probably the fourth time she’s had her measurements taken for this season alone.  Shouldn’t they have that on file?  Also, why take measurements for another suit of armor?  What’s wrong with the ones they already had?  She asked Maz, the head costumer but she merely shook her head and said she was only doing what she was told.  Phasma shrugged and stopped asking questions.

 

Later that week Phasma was in the entertainment room, shooting pool with Poe when Rey emerged from the landing, already in pajamas and hair wet from a recent shower.

“It’s only eleven.”  Poe joked.  “You’re already going to bed?”

“Of course not.”  Rey responded.  “I never go to bed on the same day I wake up.”

“Well, I’ve got to turn in now or I might crash the plane.”  Poe replied as he put down his pool cue and gave Phasma a friendly slap of a handshake.  “One day I’ll beat you at this game.”

“I love your positive attitude, Poe.”  Phasma returned.  “I hope repeated defeats don’t diminish it.”  She bid him good night and then followed Rey into the kitchen where she was already making a late night sandwich for herself.  Phasma dragged out a bag of spinach from the fridge and ate it straight out of the bag, fingers pinching the leaves and shoving them into her mouth.  Rey looked up at her and smirked.

“What?”  Phasma asked with a mouthful of spinach.

“I’ve never seen anyone snack on fiber like you do.”  She laughed.  She had her phone with her, staring at the screen as she nibbled at her sandwich.  Phasma drew in her breath as she gazed at the brunette in new longing.  She rarely saw Rey with her hair down.  She often kept it up and out of her face.  It was also the first time she’d seen her wear the pajamas she had on, which was nothing more than a thin red tank top and blue striped bottoms.

Going on the command of her stupid, lovesick heart, Phasma sidled up to her, her bag making loud crinkly noises as she continued to draw spinach out of it.

“Whatcha reading?”  Phasma asked her, sliding in close.  Rey held the phone away from her, giving her a glare that was only slightly irritated and mostly amused.

“Nothing.”

“Is it something you wrote?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s private.”

“I thought you said you’d let me read what you wrote if I asked.”

“I probably should have stressed that I’ll let you read what I tell you that you can read.  You’re not allowed just anything.”

“Oh?”  Phasma asked suspiciously.  “Why’s that?”

“None of your business.”

“Is it porn?”

“Oh my god, Phasma!”  Rey laughed, cheeks blushing.

“Is that a yes?”  Phasma beamed.  “I’d love to read your porn.”

“That was not a yes, you pervert.”

“I’m the pervert?  I’m not the one writing porn.”

“You’re the one begging to read it.  That’s just as guilty a sin.”

“I think we have differing ideas on that.”  Phasma smiled.  “And it sounds like you just confirmed you have porn on your computer.”

“Ugh, you’re such a sassy cunt.”  Rey told her.  Phasma laughed at her choice words.

“Fine.  I don’t need to see your porn.  But will you let me read another of your scripts?”

“You don’t have anything else to do?”

“I could sit here and pester you all night.  Those are my only plans.”

“You have a very persuasive charm.”

“Yes.  I believe you’re right.”  Phasma chuckled.  Rey playfully rolled her eyes at her.

“Fine.  After I eat my sandwich.”

“Okay.”  Phasma said happily as she dug into her bag and drew out another handful of spinach.  Rey shook her head at her and placed the phone back into her view, opening it to a screen filled with words before closing it again when Phasma leaned in close.

“Do you mind?”  Rey asked her, the smile on her face never wavering.

“I don’t.”  Phasma joked.

“I’m trying to do some editing and it’s difficult to do when you’re hovering.”  Phasma stepped away with a teasing look and Rey watched her till she was far enough away that Rey felt comfortable turning her phone back on.  There was a moment of silence before Phasma spoke again.

“What kind of porn is it?”  She asked.  Rey grabbed her full plate and huffed upstairs to her room.  Phasma followed in cheerful amusement.

 

Phasma stood around looking at the books strewn along the desk and floor as Rey fired up her laptop.

“The Hoth wars?”  Phasma asked as she read a title.

“Yeah, I’m writing about a soldier caught in the middle of both sides.”

“That sounds awesome.  I’ve always been interested in that war.”  she said as she peeked over Rey’s shoulder to her laptop.  Rey clicked into a folder labeled ‘work’ before scrolling through till she found a folder labeled ‘scripts’.  Phasma jolted just as the screen flipped into the script folder.

“Hang on.”  Phasma said.  “Did I just see my name?”  She felt Rey tense.

“No.”  Rey uttered.  She stuck a USB into the port and began placing a file into it.

“I’m sure that I did.”

“You might have seen something that looked like your name.”  Rey said, clearly trying to sound casual.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, this is your computer.  You can’t guess?”

“Uh, plasma?”

“Do you have a file called plasma?”

“Maybe?”  Was all Rey replied.  She reached down and grabbed the USB out of the port, handing it to Phasma who did not take it right away.

“Show me.”

“What?”

“Show me your plasma file.”

“I’m not showing you the file.”

“Just show me that it exists.”

“I’m starting to regret letting you in here.”

“Please, Rey?  Otherwise I’m going to assume it was my name I saw.”  Phasma declared.  Rey sighed heavily, staring into Phasma’s eyes in deep thought before shaking her head.

“Fine.”  Rey said as she clicked back into the works file.  “You were right.”  Phasma looked over and saw her name written in the folder name.

“Can I read it?”  She asked.

“Absolutely not!”  Rey exclaimed, clicking the entire file out so that only her desktop showed.

“Why not?  What’s it about?”

“It’s not really about anything.”

“What do you mean?  What’s in the file?”  Phasma inquired.  She was usually not one to press the issue but her curiosity had never been so overwhelmed before.

“Phasma, just let it go.  I’m not going to show it to you.”

“I really hope that’s your porn file.”  Phasma declared.  Rey got up and physically began pushing her out of her room, her hands on Phasma’s hard stomach as she put her whole body into removing her.

“Phasma!”  Rey shrieked.  “If you’re going to be a tease then you can’t stay here.”

“Who’s teasing?”  Phasma laughed, applying the barest of effort to maintain her footing.  Rey fought her till she got her to the door, Phasma blocked the knob so that Rey couldn’t open it.

“I’ll leave if you show me what’s inside the file.”  Phasma said in a low tone, looking wantonly at Rey.  Rey put her hands on her hips, glaring up at Phasma.

“This is extortion.”  She said, though the expression on her face gave her spirit away.  The blush on her cheeks, the heaving of her chest, Phasma had seen this look before.  Rey was excited.  Phasma felt a raw urge to kiss her fiercely, to rip off their clothes and toss Rey onto the bed, licking her body until she cried out with the fervor of her orgasm.  Since Phasma had moved in they had been pushing against the boundaries and Phasma knew if they continued to push they wouldn’t simply step over the line.  They’d disregard everything about it, erasing it until there was nothing holding them back.

“When you put it like that, perhaps I’ve gone too far.”  Phasma noted, trying to back out of the tricky situation she had put them in.  She was thinking of Ben.  Their friendship would implode if he even knew about the flirting between them.  Perhaps in time there was something for her and Rey but she would have to be patient.  It was too risky.

She put her palm on the door knob and before she had a chance to turn it, Rey surprised her with a quick placement of her hand to her wrist, stopping her from opening the door.

“I’ll let you read the file,”  Rey said in a low breathy tone.  “If you let me return the favor.”  Phasma felt her smile fade away, unable to tear her eyes away from Rey.  Ben was wiped completely from her mind.  Her heart quickened into a rapid pace, beating so hard she could hear the fast rhythm drumming in her ears.  She swallowed hard knowing she shouldn’t indulge but after getting to know her for the past few months she was well aware that Rey was everything she wanted.  Those brown eyes bore into her with equal longing, full lips quivering in anticipatory need.  Phasma’s brain was screaming no but her body was already reacting.  She bent over and placed her lips onto Rey’s.

At the moment of their touch, they both jumped when there was a knock on the door behind them.  Quickly stepping away from Phasma, Rey wiped a sleeve across her mouth.

“Who is it?”  Rey shouted, clearing her throat.

“It’s Ben.”  Came the reply.  Phasma and Rey looked alarmingly at each other before Phasma opened the door to a calm Ben who looked at her in first bewilderment then curiosity.

“Hey, Phas…”  He said.  “What are you guys doing?”

“I’m lending her a USB.”  Rey said, going to the desk to retrieve it then holding it up as if in added proof.

“Thanks.”  Phasma said, taking it from her.

“Anytime.”  Rey nodded.  Phasma stopped to look at her before hurriedly turning away, hoping that Ben didn’t notice.

 

As soon as she was safely tucked inside her room, Phasma turned on her laptop and inserted the USB into the port but she could not bring herself to read the script.  Her eyes would glaze over Rey’s name at the top of the page just under the title and her mind would not move forward.  She was confused by Rey’s behavior.  After ceasing their torrid fling, Rey had stopped making passes at her but the minute she moved into the house Rey instantly became coquettish and seemed to be making up for lost time.  It didn’t make sense to her.  Why start now?  Were they no longer regarding Ben’s feelings?  

There were muffled voices going on in Rey’s room next door and though Phasma couldn’t make out the words, she could tell the two were speaking in tense tones.  A few heated responses were followed by a quick opening of her door and a hard close.  Ben’s heavy steps echoed through the hall as he stomped to his own bedroom.  During the ensuing silence, Phasma wanted to go check in on Rey but not a moment later she heard the mad clicking of her laptop and decided against it.  She wondered if she should go see about Ben but, though she wanted to be a good friend, she didn’t want to send the wrong message either.  She was not his girlfriend and they were not best friends.  Besides, it was hard to talk to him now that she harbored a secret infatuation for his cousin.

Phasma took a hot shower to clear her thoughts.  By the time she had emerged from the bathroom, Rey was still busily typing away, the sound of the clicking reverberating against her bedroom door.  It would continue for another three hours, about the time Phasma finished the script.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is still reading this story! I'll try to pump out more this weekend.


	8. The Chrome Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phasma gets a new costume. Rey makes a decision.

Rey hopped into the 4Runner and Phasma pulled away towards the studios once they were belted in.  Rey was quiet.  She looked out the window, clearly lost in thought.  There was a turmoil brewing just below the surface of her expressive face.  They rode in silence for a few minutes, neither one knowing how to address the evening before.  It turned out Phasma was the braver of the two.

“So, can I ask about last night?”

“I thought you might.”  Rey replied.  “I don’t know what got into me.  I won’t do that again.”

“I can’t help but notice you’ve been a little more daring lately.”  Phasma remarked.  “Did something change your mind?”

“Other than the fact you’re intoxicating to be around?”  Rey responded.  Phasma swallowed hard, her heart doing flips in response.  “I do have to point out that you were certainly brazen as well.”

“Yes, okay, that’s true.  I apologize for that.”

“Please don’t apologize.  Just don’t…you know...don’t do that anymore.”

“Okay.  I won’t do that anymore.”  Phasma nodded and drove silently for a few seconds before responding again.  “Just for clarity, do what?”

“Anything!”  Rey flustered.  “Don’t…I don’t know…Don’t be so damned sexy all the time.  Don’t be so fun to hang out with.  Don’t come back from the gym all sweaty and gorgeous.  Don’t wear your stupid sexy silver jacket anymore.  And for god’s sake, quit wearing that dark red lipstick around.”

There was a long pause while Phasma drove in silent shock.

“Do you actually mean all that?”  She asked quietly.

“No.”  Rey huffed.  “Of course not.  But you drive me crazy and I...  Just let me think, okay?”

Again, there was a quiet between them inside the car.  Phasma pulled up to the lot of the studio, the guard recognizing her and opening the gate for them to enter.  She pulled into a parking spot and parked the car.  They sat in silence for a moment.  Phasma was the first to speak.

“I read your script.  It was phenomenal.”  She declared quietly.

“Shut up before I kiss you.”  Rey muttered.  Another tense few seconds and then Rey opened the door and slipped out of the car.

 

Luckily for Phasma she had to focus on work otherwise she would go mad thinking about Rey all day.  The director yelled cut and print on the last take after Phasma went plunging through a fake air shaft, grabbing the ledge just before falling towards the green screen ten feet below her.  She climbed up and watched the playback, as Chewy Mayhew looked on with a grin.

“You make that look easy.”  Chewy said, clapping his hand on her shoulder.  He was one of the very few people who was actually taller than her, which is why she was usually the one to perform his stunts.

“I wish I could say it is.”  Phasma replied.  She flexed her numb fingers pithily.

It was late at night and Phasma walked to her car, halting when she heard her name being shouted.  She looked back, Rey jogging towards her in the darkened lot.

“Hey.”  Phasma greeted in surprise.  “I’m glad to see you.  I was thinking about earlier and I just…”  Her words were lost in Rey’s mouth as she pulled Phasma down by her collar and planted soft lips around the blonde’s.  Phasma reacted as one would imagine, first taken by pure shock then slowly capitulating into the glow of Rey’s kiss.  Phasma had finally relented entirely only for Rey to pull away a second later.

“Thank you.”  Rey said, a little breathless.

“For what?”  Phasma asked, her eyes still heavy lidded.

“You said my script was phenomenal.”  Rey answered, moving to the passenger side of the car and getting in.

“I’m getting mixed signals here.”  Phasma uttered as she hopped into the driver’s side.

“I know.  I’m sorry.”  Rey said sheepishly.  “I’ll try to explain but I’m not good with words.”

“You’re a writer, aren’t you?”

“I’m not good with vocalizing.  I do much better on paper.  I could write it out maybe?”

“No, we’re here now.  Tell me why I just got kissed.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot today.”  Rey began.  “I know I was distant and I apologize for that.  I was angry and confused.  I don’t exactly do well with those emotions.”

“Not too many do.”

“Right.  Especially Ben.  He’s the one I’m most angry with.”

“Ben?  Why?”

“Didn’t you hear us last night?  You couldn’t possibly have missed it.”

“I might have heard some tension but I didn’t hear any actual discussion.”  Phasma admitted.

“He’s been pushing me to go back to the farm.  He knows that Finn left because I told him I couldn’t love him like he wanted me to.  He also knows about the sound tech that had been following me around the lot sometimes.”

“Hold up!  There’s a sound tech stalking you?”  Phasma asked incredulously.  “I’m going to fucking kill h-…”

“He’s been fired and banned from the lot.  Don’t worry about that guy anymore.”

“Oh, wait, I might know about that guy.  Was he the one making inappropriate passes at Padme Amidala?”

“That’s the one.  Anyway, I made the mistake of telling Ben about him and he freaked out even after I told him the guy was fired.  All he hears is that I’m in danger and that I’m probably going to get raped or something.  But that’s not even the reason I think he wants me to leave.  I think he’s afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“That I’ll either never get any of my scripts accepted and he’ll have to watch my dreams suffer a slow death, or that I’ll actually get a writing position and he’ll still be the radar tech.  It’s s lose-lose situation for him.  That’s why I’m pissed at him.”

“Are you certain of this?”

“Mostly.  Does this not seem like Ben to you?”

“It’s very Ben.  He has a proclivity towards the depressive.  It would be like him to not want either outcome because he’ll hurt either way.”

“Exactly.  Ugh, he makes me so angry sometimes!”  Rey declared with raised fists.  “This is why Uncle Han wanted some space.”

“Yeah, can we get to the part about the kiss?”

“Right, long story short.  You deserved it.”

“Ah, that’s good to know.  I’m glad we can agree on that.  What made you change your mind so suddenly from this morning?”

“I’ve decided I’m not going to base my life around Ben’s inner demons.  He’s got issues that I have tried for years to understand or help with but I’m clearly out of my element.  He needs a professional and that’s not me.  I’ll be supportive but not enabling.”

“And your response to that is to kiss me?”

“Well, for a start, yes.  I’ve made it clear I’m into you, right?”

“You’ve said as much before.”

“Well, I’ll say it again.  I’m into you.  I want to lick every part of you from th-….”

“Pull up, Rey!”  Phasma exclaimed feeling a little dizzy from the conversation.  “I’m not sure we’re on the same wavelength.”

“Right.  Sorry.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to…you know.  I’m not going to lie, the abrupt change in your mood is a little daunting.”

“Yeah, I know.  I’ve been thinking about it all day.  It doesn’t seem abrupt to me since I’ve spent ten hours pondering it non-stop.”

“This is all kind of overwhelming.”

“I’m backing away.”  Rey answered, holding up her hands and splaying out her fingers in resignation.  Her demeanor was hardly changed though.  Phasma glanced over at her from the side of her eye, noting the flush in her face.  It wasn’t that Rey was excited about Phasma, it was that she had made a decision and was excited about the freedom from Ben’s moods.  Unfortunately, Phasma was not ready to face the consequences.

“I’m going to have to think about this.”  Phasma replied, not even sure what it was she was supposed to think about.

“Understandable.”  Rey nodded.  She seemed happy about it, like in ten hours Phasma would come to the same conclusion she had.  Phasma changed the subject, asking about her day.  Rey launched into a diatribe about how Chewy Mayhew was probably the greatest actor on the lot.

 

Phasma hardly had time alone with her thoughts.  Ben asked her to come with him to the grocery store and considering she wasn’t pulling her weight when it came to it, Phasma hustled him into her car and they drove off to the nearest store.  They perused the aisles, grabbing a shit ton of fruits and vegetables since they were both eating healthy and then buying a lot of proteins and fats because Ben was bulking.

“Do you really need four gallons of milk?”  Phasma asked him as he pulled out the fourth and set it in the cart.

“I drink a gallon a day.  This won’t last especially with how much you put in your cereal.”  He replied.  He gave a seconds thought and decided on a fifth milk, placing it in the cart.

“That’s Rey.”  Phasma chuckled.  “She likes choco-droids with her milk.  I told her she might as well just skip the cereal and drink straight from the gallon.  I don’t see how that girl stays so skinny.”

“You and Rey have been hanging out a lot.”  Ben stated.  It pulled Phasma out of her mood and into a sudden defense.

“I give her rides to work.”  Phasma answered, hoping it sounded natural.

“Do you like her?”  

It took Phasma a moment to realize he was not asking in the same context she was thinking.

“What’s that supposed to mean?  Of course I like her.  Everyone does.”  She replied.  Ben simply nodded his head in response, pushing the cart to the next aisle.  “Why?  Have you heard otherwise?”

“No.  It seems like she’s well liked.”

“Well, isn’t that a good thing?”

“Of course.  It would not make me happy if she wasn’t.”  He answered, carefully not looking at her.  Phasma exhaled slowly, sensing he was more guarded than usual.

“What would make you happy?”  She asked him.  “Don’t think I haven’t noticed Jessica doesn’t come around anymore.  Poe tells me you’ve been calling in sick to work a few times.”

“I don’t like that you’re keeping tabs on me.”  He scowled, pulling a tin of mixed nuts off the shelf.

“I’m not but you’re my friend and, well, you’re not going to like this but I’m worried about you.”

“You’re right.  I don’t like that.”

“Did you and Jessica break up?”  Phasma asked point blank.

“Three weeks ago.”  He answered almost indifferently.  Phasma couldn’t help but notice that was around the time she moved into the house.

“Did it have anything to do with me?”  Phasma asked.  Ben glanced at her in slight disbelief.

“Not everything is about you, Phas.”  He simply replied with a small shake of his head.  She felt a burn cross her cheeks.

“Fine.  I’ll stop caring then.”  She said tensely.  She began to walk ahead of him, distancing him and his unending dark moods.  She heard him sigh behind her.

“You and Hux are my best friends.”  He confessed.  She stopped and looked back at him.  “But you guys are each other’s best friends.  All right?  I’m jealous.”  Phasma hesitated before coming to him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.  He stood, allowing her to hold him, his hands gently at her waist like he was afraid to make the wrong move and scare her away.

“We love you, you know.”  Phasma told him.  An older couple passed by, looking warily at them and then quietly ranting about giant people displaying PDA in the frozen food section.

“Not like I love you guys.”  He said sadly.

“Oh, Ben!  Of course we do!  We’re a good team!  Without you I wouldn’t be pushing myself in the gym.  Hux certainly wouldn’t be happy without you to scare off aggressive gold diggers.  Who else would we ask to jump off the cliffs of Kamino with us?  You think I would take Mitaka with me on a road trip across Naboo?  And what about tauntaun sledding through Hoth?  I wanted you there with me!”  Phasma tapped him on his chest.  “Right?  Besides, who else would take Hux’s incessant whining?”

Ben’s smile barely peeked from the corner of his mouth but her words were doing him good anyway.  He sighed and nodded with a bit of an eye roll.

“Sorry.  I guess I’m still a little down because all my friends are happier with each other and I’m the only one in the house without an actual career.”

“Rey doesn’t have a career.”

“Yeah, but she’s going to one day.  She’s got determination.  She used to get writing awards and stuff.  Even got a few scholarships with the stories she sent in.”

“You do realize you’re the only one who can change things, right?”

Yes.”  Ben sighed heavily.  “Change my job, change my single status, change the way I feel about being second fiddle…”

“Jesus, you are not second fiddle.”  Phasma rolled her eyes, taking him by the arm and dragging him and the cart to the frozen pizza aisle.

 

Ben and Phasma hustled the groceries into the house.  Rey was already in the kitchen, eating a sandwich and chips.  Hux came downstairs just as they were finished putting the groceries away.

“I hope you got popcorn for tomorrow.”  He told them.

“Why?  What’s tomorrow?”

“Outland Base.”  Hux replied.  “We’re having another viewing.  This time, we’ve got two people to celebrate.”  He said as he came over and tapped a light hand on Rey’s shoulder.

“Is tomorrow the bo staff episode?”  Rey asked excitedly.

“How do you know that?”  Phasma looked to Hux, planting her fists on her hips.

“My father told me.”  He answered.  Phasma wondered how that conversation came up between them since they only really spoke tersely about Armitage not living up to his potential.  She found out later when Armitage asked her to come to his room.  He already had a bottle of wine in his hand.

Where Brendol was interested in making the most money possible, Armitage wanted to find art in the furthest of corners.  He had greenlit another project that, while not costing much money would certainly be a failure in Brendol’s mind.  They had argued about the practicality of such a project but Armitage would not budge on the issue and Brendol complained that he had raised a daughter instead of a son.  Phasma’s name had been brought up, Brendol relaying how she was on a hit show, which was what the studio wanted to produce instead of the depressing dramas Armitage was more prone to fund.  Hux hated how broken Brendol’s words made him feel and he and Phasma spent the night reminiscing on old times and crying over their horrible fathers.

 

Rey was decidedly in a good mood the next day.  She waited for Phasma to come back from the gym to accost her in front of the bathroom.

“All yours.”  She said, waving a hand towards the bathroom.  She stood at the doorway, eyes traveling over Phasma’s body, sending a blush throughout the taller one.  Before she went in, she felt Rey’s fingertips graze across her abdomen.  She stopped and stared at Rey, unsure if she wanted to welcome this flagrant display of affection or stop it dead in it’s tracks now that Ben was more concentrated in her thoughts.

“I don’t want to hurt Ben.”  She heard come out of her mouth.  It was delivered in an apologetic tone.  Rey’s smile only slightly faltered.

“Understood.”  She said, turning away.  Phasma doubted that was the last she would hear about that.  Not so secretly, she hoped it wasn’t.

 

The costume was finished that day.  Director Krennic ordered Phasma to go try it on the minute she stepped into the studio.  She was given a regular black body glove to wear that she often used when wearing the regular white sci-fi armor.  She donned it then came out of the dressing room looking around for Maz who dragged a large chest in front of her and opened it.  Phasma held her arm up against her eyes and stepped back in the shiny glare of the chrome armor glimmering inside the padded chest.

“Holy shit!  What is that?”  Phasma asked.

“Your new armor.”  Maz replied, delicately taking out a piece.  “Now hold still while we snap these plates onto you.”

It took four people and twenty minutes for all the plates of the armor to be applied to her body.  Once all the chrome was tightened on, Maz held out a large black cape rimmed in a thick red line and held it out to a few of the costume designers so that together they could place the heavy fabric around Phasma’s neck.  At last they handed out the chrome helmet and Phasma pulled it over her head, her costume now complete.  Through the black visor of her helmet she could see the ten or so people surrounding her staring in awe.

“That is so fucking awesome…”  She heard Rose Tico, one of the costumers, utter.

“What does it look like?”  Phasma asked, her voice muffled.  Maz grabbed her elbow and took her to a full length mirror.  The black visor muted the chrome effects but she could see it’s radiance anyway.

“Holy shit!”  She replied.  “Someone take a picture!”

“Phasma!”  Krennic exclaimed as he entered the costume department.  “That turned out great!  How’s your movement?  Not restricting is it?”

“I don’t think so.”  Phasma declared, moving her arms then pulling them in front of her chest in a half circle and twisting her hips to find her full flexibility unhindered.  “The cape is a little heavy but I’m pretty sure I can work with it.”

“Come on outside and let’s find out.”

 

Phasma had an audience as she, stuntman Wedge Antilles and director Krennic tested out the new armor on the lot between the studios.  Wide grins on amazed faces clamored around the chrome soldier as she jumped and spun and twirled her staff in her capable hands.  At the end of a demonstration, Phasma was delighted when she received applause, bowing low for her new fans before they dispersed back to their jobs.

“How’s it feel?”  Krennic asked her.  He was now flanked by Peter and Bob, the stunt coordinators.  There were first assistant directors, second assistant directors, producers, several writers, a couple actors, sound technicians, lighting techs, PA’s and extras surrounding them but they were formed in a wide outer circle while Phasma, Krennic and the stunt coordinators were in the middle, discussing the costume like a team huddled on third down.

“Like a second skin.”  Phasma remarked.

“It’s certainly imposing.”  Bob commented.  “I’m anxious to put it into action.”

“We’ve got the character introduction for the battle on the star destroyer in the next episode.  Detail out a fight between Phasma and the outland base fighters.  We’ll shoot it next week.”  Krennic replied.  He sharply clapped his hands once and the four of them separated immediately, ready to make a touchdown.

“Hey silver soldier!”  Phasma heard an unfamiliar voice ring out as she headed back to wardrobe.  She glanced over and saw one of the extras, dressed in prostitute garb, undoubtedly from the set of Tatooine Cantina Pimps, waving her hand at her and trying to get her attention.  Phasma looked around and then pointed to herself inquisitively.

“Yeah, you!”  The extra called.  “I like the way you handle your staff.”  She winked.  Phasma laughed and headed towards wardrobe.  She continued to hear the extra calling to her as she left.

“Call me if you want me to lick your codpiece clean!”

 

Phasma was still laughing when she entered the studio.  She walked through the lot, feeling the stares of the others as they wondered who the chrome soldier was when she turned a corner and a body fully collided into her.  Phasma quickly grabbed the wrist of the small frame, keeping her from bouncing off Phasma and onto the ground.

“Holy shit!”  Rey exclaimed as she looked up and stared into the chrome helmet.  “Sorry ‘bout that.”  Phasma often saw Rey on set though she was usually attending the actors or producers.  The collision had knocked her headset and a stack of stapled papers onto the floor.   Rey knelt down to retrieve them, never letting her eyes lift off the impressive person.

Rey had been a merciless flirt with Phasma since the night she decided she wouldn’t bow to the whims of Ben’s moods.  While she was rational enough to do it while Ben was not present, she was relentless when they were alone.  Phasma simply smiled and did not engage, thought it was clear that she enjoyed the attention.  This time, she had an outlet to secretly release her pent up energy.

The chrome soldier bent down to help Rey so that their faces were close.  The surprise in Rey’s expression was especially cute.

“Thanks.”  Rey replied.  The chrome soldier picked the papers off the floor and then stood up and made a signal that seemed apologetic.  

“That’s no problem.”  Rey answered.  Phasma made a gesture, pointing to Rey and cocking her head in the process.

“No, I’m okay, thanks.”  Rey responded.  “Nothing broken at least.”  Phasma nodded her chrome head and gave her a thumbs up.  Rey smiled.  The chrome soldier then pointed to the papers in her hand and then made typing motions with her fingers, finally pointing at Rey.  Rey’s brows shot up in surprise.

“Yes, I did write these.”  She said.  “They’re test scripts for Outland Base.”  The chrome soldier made a deep bow in reverence.  Rey laughed and waved a dismissive hand.

“I’m not an actual writer yet.  It’s just something the writers of the show wanted me to submit.”  The chrome soldier made a move that looked like pure excitement and Rey responded similarly.

“I know, right?  Here’s to hoping!”

The chrome soldier made crossed fingers.  Rey did the same.  

“Thanks!”  She looked to turn away but then glanced up into Phasma’s helmet and smirked.

“That’s an amazing costume.”  She commented.  Phasma put two hands over her heart and bowed slightly in thanks.

“Is that a new character for the show?”  Phasma nodded her head.

“Are you new here too?”  Phasma took a moment and decided to lie.  She nodded her head.

“Do you know Phasma Tarkin?”  Again, Phasma lied with a shake of her head.

“Oh, well, Phasma is my roommate.  She’s a stuntwoman for the show.”  Phasma pretended to suddenly know what Rey was talking about.  She nodded emphatically, pointing to her head in a way that suggested she simply forgot.  She then held her palm flat and horizontal to the ground but high in the air.

“Yeah!  She’s the tall one.”  Rey smiled.  Phasma hoped to draw more out of Rey.  There was something exhilarating about getting Rey to talk about her without thinking she was around.  Phasma then made a motion in the air, like outlining a vase and then making a thumbs up.  Rey laughed especially hard.

“Yes.”  Rey agreed.  “She’s very pretty.”  Phasma tried making more motions but Rey cocked her head to the side and arched an eyebrow at her.

“Is there something wrong with your voice?”  She asked.

“There you are!”  Came a shout nearby, cutting off their one-sided conversation.  Phasma turned her head and saw Krennic headed towards her.  “Hey, I forgot to tell you that you’re going to be needing a script now that you’re a returning character.  Have one of the PA’s get one for you before you leave today.”  He told her.  Phasma nodded her head and gave him a thumbs up.  Krennic pat her solidly on her chrome shoulder plate and smiled.

“Good.  You’re my girl, Phasma.”  He said as he strut away.  Phasma whipped her helmet to face Rey who was looking up at her in obvious astonishment.

“Phasma?”  Rey asked in narrowed eyes.  Phasma slowly lifted her helmet off her head, revealing her face to Rey.

“Hey there.”  Phasma said sheepishly.  “Any chance I can ask you to get the script for me?”

“Phasma…”  Rey huffed.  “Why didn’t you tell me that was you in the first place?”

“No idea.  I guess I was inspired by your incessant flirting.”  Phasma replied.

“Now?  Especially when you’re standing around in the most spectacular costume I’ve ever seen looking stupidly sexy?”  Phasma couldn’t wipe off the tight grin crossing her face.  

“I’d rather you didn’t hold that against me.”

“Honestly, I wish you would let me.  I should have known it was you.  I’m honestly miffed at myself for not guessing it in the first place.  I almost thought I was going back in the closet for a hot second.”

“Tell that to the extra back there.”  Phasma laughed, thumbing behind her towards the Tatooine Cantina Pimp set.  “I just got catcalled by some chick who clearly thought I was a man.”

“What’d she say?”

“She told me she’d lick my codpiece clean.”

“Ugh, yes, I know what she means.”  Rey glanced down at Phasma’s belt.  Phasma felt a lapse in judgment beckoning to her.  The image did her no good to create.

“I’m not very disciplined when it comes to you.”  Phasma stated.  “And you’re not exactly helping right now.”

“It’s just the costume.  My god, it’s so fucking awesome.”  Rey said in awe, raising her hand to the cape.  Her fingers drifted very close before she flinched away as though touching it might burn her.  Regaining her composure she looked back up at Phasma.  “But I’ll respect your wishes.  If you don’t want me then I won’t press the issue.”

“You know that’s not the issue.  If it weren’t for Ben there wouldn’t be an inch of you I haven’t kissed.”

“I’m starting to resent Ben.  And that was hardly appropriate for someone trying hard to protect his feelings.”

“No, sorry.  You’re right.”  Phasma shook her head.  “I keep going back and forth on this.  One moment I’m strong and can resist anything, the next I’m weak and just want to take you into the trailer over there and give you more favors to return.”

“I’m going to fucking pull off your codpiece if you say one more thing about that.”  Rey said, deliberately looking away from Phasma in a clear blush.  

There was a ring in Rey’s ear that even Phasma could hear.  She listened for a second before replying.

“I’ll be right over.”  Rey said into the receiver.  She looked up to Phasma and shrugged.  “I have to go get Padme Amidala on set.  I’ll bring you the next Outland Base script later.”  And with that she jogged away.


	9. They Call Me Captain Phasma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phasma learns the folder is not Rey's porn stash after all. And the chrome soldier gets a name.

“Everyone shut up!”  Hux cried out.  “It’s starting.”

The room quieted down as the theme to Outland Base blared through the media room in Hux’s house.  There were about fifteen people, all friends of Phasma and Hux’s circled around the couches and chairs, eating popcorn and waiting in anticipation for Phasma’s fight scene.  Poe had even brought around his new girlfriend Amilyn Holdo.  Even without Hux hyping it up, the episode teasers showcasing the epic fight had been all over the internet and television for the last week causing a ripple of excitement through the gathering.

Hux sat on one side of the couch, next to him was Phasma.  They always sat together mostly because people got pissed off at them when they would yell to each other from the other side of the room if they weren’t.  Usually Rey sat in one of the chairs or on the floor and so Phasma was both surprised and pleased when the brunette strolled up to her and plopped herself beside her on the couch.

It was about ten minutes in when Phasma showed up on screen.

“Shit, that soldier is tall.  That’s gotta be you, Phasma.”  Mitaka said.

“Just watch the damned show, Mitaka!”  Hux yelled.

Phasma had been told the sequence would last three minutes and Krennic had been true to his word.  What he had neglected to mention was that it was almost entirely Phasma on screen.  She entered the space freighter in white armor through an imploded doorway, carrying a blaster and shooting out the fodder on the base.  The commander of the base, played by Anakin Skywalker, managed to wrench the blaster out of the soldier’s hands.  The soldier then pulled out a quicksilver staff and the noise inside the house went wild as everyone watched Phasma twirl it around her arm, knocking out more outland base red shirts and prodding it into an exhaust hose, blasting steam inside the engine room.  She chased the commander with her staff, jumping over rails, dodging strikes and whipping anyone who fell in her path.  In the end, the commander managed to get in a lucky hit and the soldier fell into an air shaft, disappearing into the void for good.  The program then cut to commercial.

The whole scene was intense and thrilling.  Rey was practically jumping on the couch in her excitement.

“Oh my god that was so awesome!”  Someone said, though Phasma didn’t catch who because everyone in the room was hollering in frenzy.  It might have been Unamo.

Damn, Phas!”  Cardinal, one of the other stuntmen, replied.  “I wish I worked on that show.  I’d have a blast with you.”

“That was as great as everyone said it was going to be.”  Hux exclaimed.  “Congratulations, Phasma and Rey!  All that hard work in the backyard paid off.”

“Hear, hear!”  The rest agreed.  Phasma looked to Rey who was already focused on her.  It was like a moment at the stroke of midnight on a New Years Eve, like the discovery of finding mistletoe overhead, like saying good bye to an ex-lover for the last time.  It would have been so natural for Phasma to lean over and kiss Rey, like an after thought.  The urge was powerful and Phasma fought it until the feeling faded out, the moment gone.  It had been difficult enough to leave Phasma feeling spent.

 

Phasma was not out of the fire.  After the program ended and all the guests had left, she went to get ready for bed.  She came to her room to find a USB sitting on her computer with a note.

_You asked_

Curious, Phasma plugged into her computer and was astonished to see a folder pop up labeled Phasma.  With racing heart, Phasma clicked into the folder to find several different files labeled by date.  The first one was from seven months ago.  She clicked into that one first.

 

_I’ve been haunted and I don’t know how to alleviate the torment.  The only way I can find some semblance of respite is to establish her existence on page._

_She is blonde.  She is tall.  And she is beautiful._

 

Phasma slapped her computer closed.  She stared at the blank wall in empty reflection.  She was surprised to find she couldn’t breathe.

Once she had settled down and prepared herself to enter the private thoughts of another, she slowly opened up her laptop and focused on the screen.  What she read was simply the events of the night Phasma had met Rey at the party from Rey’s point of view.  It was nothing short of flattering, paying especial detail on the things that seemed to thrill the brunette.  Colors.  Rey had been drawn in by colors.  White gold hair.  Dark blue eyes.  Silver shine jacket.  Blood red lipstick.  Rey had made many thoughts but it was her summaries that interested Phasma the most.

 

_I may never see her again.  It may never matter.  She is a few minutes of a short lifetime of history.  To have this visceral reaction over a person whose character could be drowned in issues is irrational.  Never judge a book by it’s cover.  She might have been Twilight wrapped in Anna Karenina._

 

Phasma re-read the first entry over and over again.  It was surreal to know the person described was her.  It didn’t sound like her at all, simply a person from someone’s fantasy.  But wasn’t that what Rey was implying, that she had been a fantasy and nothing more?

She was about to click into the next entry when she heard a knock on her door.  She closed her laptop and called for the person to enter.  She was not surprised to find Rey looking both hopeful and anxious.

“I’ve only read the first entry.”  Phasma told her, beckoning her in.

“I’m admittedly terrified of what you must think.  I don’t know why I did it.”  Rey replied as she closed the door and sat on the bed next to her.

“I’m thinking how brave you are and how I’m disappointed it’s not your porn file.”  Phasma answered.  Rey laughed and tapped her hand across her shoulder.

“I told you it’s not porn.”  Rey said before looking up to the ceiling thoughtfully.  “Well, not your typical porn, anyway.”

“I especially liked how you compared me to Twilight.”

“I said you could be Twilight personified.  As in you could be a walking disaster.  Now I know you’re not.”

“What book am I now?”  Phasma challenged.  She rested her chin on her knuckles, looking expectantly at Rey.  Rey flinched back.

“I don’t know.”  She began.  “I guess maybe Pat the Bunny?”

“Pat the Bunny!”  Phasma exclaimed.  “I was hoping for Fifty Shades of Grey.”

“What?”  Rey laughed.  “How filthy is your mind?  Are you into BDSM?”

“No, but it was the only dirty book I could think of since you’re so into me and all.”

“Why not the Kama Sutra?”

“Ah, right, see?  This is why you’re the writer.”  Phasma shrugged.  “But seriously, is your answer really going to be Pat the Bunny?”

“Obviously not.”  Rey excused.  “I would put you in the adventure category.  I’m trying to think of one with a female lead.  Maybe Lord of the Rings.”

“You’re saying I’m a hobbit?”

“No, of course not, doofus.  You’re Éowyn.”

“Eh, you’ve lost me.  I never read the books.”

“Finally!  I found your flaw!”  Rey said flinging her arms in the air.

“Hold on, you were looking for my flaws?”

“I swear to god, if you were a character in a book you would be the most boring character ever.  Most people aren’t perfect like you are.”

“Ouch, that was some backhanded compliment.”

“You know what I mean.”

“If you’re looking for flaws, just ask Hux.  He says I have no self awareness.  Also I probably would have failed high school if he hadn’t tutored me in math.”

“I thought you used to work in a crime lab.  Don’t you need a science degree for that?”

“I majored in biology.  And have you ever met someone working in a crime lab?  Most of them are regular Joes with average grades who couldn’t make it in a more professional setting.  Where was I?  Oh, I can’t cook.  That’s another flaw.”

“Are you trying to annihilate my crush on you?  ‘Cause it’s not working.”  Rey stated.

“I’m just trying to help you understand who it is you’re crushing on.  You might not know me well enough to harbor this…thing…you’ve got for me.”

“I’m pretty sure I know you well enough.  I’ll admit it was purely physical at first but then I saw you reading To Kill a Mockingbird out on the lot one day and it was like cupid’s arrow to the heart.  And this conversation is definite proof that you haven’t read the rest of the files.”  Rey replied, casually reaching over to the USB attached in the computer.  Phasma slapped her hand away.

“Don’t take that.  I’m not done reading it.”

“I think I might have changed my mind about this.  The first one is innocuous enough but I might be too embarrassed to let you read on.”

“It’s too late now, Indian giver.”  Phasma replied, grabbing playfully onto Rey’s wrist so that she couldn’t take the USB.  Rey reached with her other hand and Phasma grabbed that one too, laughing as Rey tried twisting out of her hands.  With her balance off, Phasma fell on top of Rey so that she lay haphazard onto the brunette on the bed.  She felt herself being pulled upward and suddenly Rey’s mouth was locked on hers in a searing kiss.  Phasma pretended to be surprised but she knew this was coming, carefully set up by one or the other or both.  With heated gasps, Phasma pressed her lips against Rey’s, maneuvering herself so that she lay fully on her.  Rey had closed her eyes, savoring every caress of her lips, every flick of her tongue into her mouth, clearly taking everything she could before Phasma remembered why Rey was forbidden.  It was the point where Rey drew her fingers through Phasma’s hair and uttered her name that Phasma finally pulled away.  They were both harsh of breath with chests heaving and eyes averted.

“Fine.”  Rey said when she caught her breath.  “I’ll leave it here.”  She got up off the bed and demurely traced several fingers lightly along Phasma’s jaw before leaving.  Phasma heard Rey go to her own room, shutting the door quietly.  Barely a moment later there was clicking on the keyboard.  Phasma flopped down on the bed, running a hand hard over her face.  She decided to leave the USB for later.

 

With another barrier broken, Rey used every ounce of her energy to chip away at Phasma’s willpower.  Every moment with Rey made Phasma’s heart soar.  Every moment with Ben made guilt swallow her whole.  There was no denying she wanted Rey more than anything she’d ever desired, but Ben would look at her with sad eyes and she was reminded how very near a dark precipice he dangled.  Despite the brunette’s alluring force, Phasma stayed to true to the friendship that stayed true to her.  Barely.

Phasma refused to read the other files in the folder though she had saved them on her computer and returned the USB.

“Did you read them?”  Rey asked her.

“Not yet.”  She replied.

“Why not?”

“I’m afraid.”

“Of what?”

“You know what.”

“I want to hear you say it.”

“You’re not getting that luxury.”

“All right, I’ll give it a name.  You’re afraid I’m too infatuated with you.  It’s a turn off.”

“No, you’ve got it the other way around.”  And then Phasma ran away because she was afraid of her own actions.

 

Phasma did not let Rey into her room anymore.

“Why can’t I come in?”  Rey would ask.

“Because of what happened last time.”  Phasma would reply.

“You think I’d kiss you again?”

“Wouldn’t you?”

“I can guarantee you that I’ll try.”

“Then my sensibilities aren’t wrong.”

“It’s just a kiss.  Will you kiss me good night?”

“I can’t.”

“Please?  If I can’t have you, will you at least help to alleviate my needs?”

“Fine.  One kiss.”  And then Phasma would lose herself in Rey and they would spend too long in the hallway until a phantom sound would jostle her out of their kiss.  Rey would then toss her a gleeful smile, disappearing into her room.  

Phasma would then go straight to bed, not at all surprised when the thin wall made it clear Rey was thinking about her while shrouded in darkness.  Phasma had to cover her ears with her pillow after a soft whisper of her name penetrated through the wall.  It took everything she had not to jump out of bed and run into Rey’s room, clawing her clothes off her to plunge in her desire.

 

A full week of this drove Phasma crazy.  There was no way to avoid Rey’s constant flirtations and Phasma wouldn’t want to anyway.  Though it drained her emotionally, it also gave her life.  There was nothing stopping her from taking Rey except for the dying moral righteousness that was barely more than a grain of decency by this point.

Rey was sensing it too, gearing up for Phasma to finally turn to the dark side.  She wasn’t covert about it at all.  She drew out their good night kisses, called Phasma’s name louder through the walls in self-manufactured ecstasy, and straight up told her she would be returning the favor soon.  She just needed one event to pull Phasma to her and that would be it.  Phasma would be hers.  Most of these conversations were discussed on the ride to and from the studio.

 

“When you’re mine, will you take me to one of your premieres?”  Rey asked her as they passed by the large theaters through Coruscant on the way to the studios.

“Yes.  If it happens.”

“What about to Endor?  We could do some camping there.”

“Sure.  I’ll take you to Endor.”

“I’ve never had sex in a tent.  We can put that on my bucket list and then cross it off later.”  Rey said.  Phasma smirked, glancing at her before returning her eyes to the road.

“If it happens.”

“I was thinking about your new costume.”

“Which one?  The silver soldier?”

“Yeah, that one.  Would you wear that while we fucked in the back of the lot?”

“Jesus Christ, Rey…”  Phasma replied, feeling a harsh blush color her cheeks dark red.

“Sorry.  I’ll try to tone it down but I want you so badly it’s starting to physically hurt.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”  Phasma answered, clearing her throat, and possibly the lie.

They arrived at the studios, both hopping out of the car and walking towards the lot.  They parted ways, Rey to her direct superior and Phasma to wardrobe where she would put on the chrome armor and then shoot the first sequence for the new character.

Walking through the lot in her costume generated a lot of stares among people who were used to costumes.  This one was certainly eye-catching.  She was flanked by Bob and Peter and a few other stuntmen and extras in standard white armor.  Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker both walked up to Phasma, grinning enthusiastically at her since this was the first time they’d seen the costume in person.

“Nice armor, Phasma!”  Anakin proclaimed.

“I’m loving this look on you.”  Padme agreed.  Phasma muffled a thanks and then they all gathered around for notes from Krennic, who was anxious to start shooting after the week long choreography practice.

“All right, Phasma.”  Krennic said to her, looking up to her helmet as he held the script in front so they could both see it.  “I know you said you didn’t want to act but I just need you to say these lines convincingly enough to help out Anakin and Padme while they deliver theirs.”

“Got it.”  Phasma nodded.

“Tell her about the name.”  Mace Windu said as he stood by listening to them talk.

“Oh, right, we got tired of calling you the chrome soldier or the silver soldier so we decided to give you a name.”  Krennic remarked.

“But here’s the thing,”  Mace said excitedly.  “We wanted to honor you because you’re so great in this role and we decided to name the character after you.”

“Me?”  Phasma exclaimed.  “Really?”

“Yes!  Of course!”  Krennic responded shooting Phasma a look that implied she should have known it was coming.  “But your character shouldn’t just have a name.  He should have a rank or title.”

“Exactly!”  Mace said.  “And not just any rank.  Upper echelon rank.”

“Nose bleed section of the hierarchy rank.”  Krennic agreed.

“That’s why all of us,”  Mace pointed to himself and Krennic and then towards a few of the other writers standing around the set.  “we decided on the perfect name for you.”

“What is his name?”  Phasma asked.

“You’re gonna love this.”  Krennic replied with a big smile.  He splayed out his hands over a giant imaginary marquee.  “Grand.  Moff.  Tarkin.”  He said punctuating each word with a thrust of his hand.  Both Krennic and Mace looked to Phasma for a reaction but were having a hard time seeing past the helmet.

“Grand Moff Tarkin.”  Phasma said slowly, rolling the name around in her mouth.  She couldn’t quash the rising elation simmering in her chest.  “I love it!”

“Great!”  Krennic clapped.  “It’s a good fit!  Let’s turn you into a beloved villain, Grand Moff Tarkin!”

A sudden hand clapped Phasma on her shoulder and she turned her head to look straight into the blue eyes of a ruddy faced, red haired man who sported a red and white beard long enough to reach the collar of his expensive blue suit.

“Captain.”  He said.  “I hope that’s you under there.”  Phasma lifted off her helmet and took his hand in hers, giving it a familiar shake.

“Brendol.  Good to see you again.”  She looked to Krennic and Mace who eyed Brendol Hux in a reverent glare.  He was well known to be opinionated, harsh and ruthless.  While they had certainly met and conversed with Hux Sr., they were clearly intimidated by the studio president’s ever-present glower.

“My son tells me you’re living in his house.”

“He pestered me until I relented.  I’m sure you’ve heard the tales.”  Phasma responded, receiving a snort from Brendol.

“I have indeed.  What’s going on here?”  He asked, pointing to her costume.

“New character.”  She told him.  “I get to be some kind of badass villain now.”

“Ah, so I’ve heard.”  Brendol nodded.  “It’s about time you got more than just stunt work.  I’ve always said you were quite the character.”

“They’re even naming him after me.”

“Not a she?  Well, whatever.  What are you calling him?”  He asked Krennic.

“Uh, Grand Moff Tarkin, Mr. Hux.”  Krennic replied.  The formality was not an accident.  No one called Brendol by his first name without express permission, which was almost no one.

“Grand Moff Tarkin?”  Brendol questioned in almost disgust.  “Why would a grand moff lead his troops into battle?  Even a regular moff wouldn’t be so obligated.”

“Uh, well, sir, this character is portrayed as a dedicated officer both in battle and in the boardroom.  He requires a certain level of expertise that a grand moff woul-…”

“No, no, no…”  Brendol interrupted, shaking his giant red head.  “That won’t do at all.  This woman here is a captain.  Captain Phasma.  That’s what I’ve called her for well on fifteen years.  That’s what you’ll name the character.”  He offered, leaving no room for argument.

“Yes, right.”  Mace said, glancing at Krennic uneasily.  “Captain Phasma.”

“Captain Phasma.”  Krennic repeated, testing the name on his tongue.

“I prefer Grand Moff Tarkin.”  Phasma said.  She actually didn’t care either way but she felt the need to stand up for those who had tried to show appreciation for her.  She felt Mace and Krennic jolt and brace for Brendol Hux's reaction.

“Don’t be daft, Captain.  I already told you why it’s not happening.”  Brendol replied in his characteristic standoffish demeanor.  “Do you have lunch plans?”

“Not sure.  Krennic?”  She asked, turning to the director.

“We can work around your schedule, of course.”  Krennic mustered.

“Be ready to go to lunch at one.  I’ve got something to discuss with you.”  Brendol told her.  Phasma was used to his aggressive ways and was not bothered in the least.

“All right.”  Phasma shrugged.  “But you’re paying, Brendol.”  She shouted to him as he walked back to his office.  He chuckled and waved back at her without even looking.


	10. So close...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brendol asks Phasma to find out information on Hux for him. Rey gets Phasma past the current boundaries.

Phasma felt out of place in the track suit she wore inside the fancy restaurant Brendol took her to.

“Had I known you were going to take me out to lunch I would have at least brought a nice dress.”  Phasma remarked, picking up her fork and preening at her salad.

“You couldn’t get one from costume?”  Brendol asked.  She gave him a dumb look.

“You think costume has dresses for people my size?”

“What would I know about that?”  He shrugged.

“Armor and men’s suits.  That’s all I get.”  She remarked.  “But I’m sure you don’t care.  Tell me why we’re here.”

“You’ll be surprised to know it’s about Armitage.”

“Color me shocked.”  Phasma replied.  “If you’re wondering if he’s upset about the project you pulled off the greenlight roster, rest assured, he only drank about half a bottle of shiraz that night.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear he’s not too terribly upset about it then.”  Brendol answered.  “But this isn’t about that.”

“Oh?”  Phasma replied, slowly setting down her fork.  “You’re not going to…let him go, are you?”

“This isn’t about work, Captain.  Stop making assumptions and let me explain.”  He remarked.  “But first, I hope you’ll tell me the truth and not hide anything from me.  We all know I haven’t been the best father to Armitage but you know damn well that all I’ve ever wanted was the best for him.”

“I’ve never denied that.”  Phasma answered honestly.

“So tell me the truth.”  Brendol nearly demanded, glancing away, which Phasma knew was his only show of weakness.  “I need to know and when it comes to Armitage you are the only one I can rely on.  As usual.”

Phasma felt a pang in her chest.  A fire spread through the lining of her stomach, gearing up for the inevitable question that Hux had been hiding from his father his whole life.  While she sat looking at Brendol in pretend curiosity, inwardly she was panicked about her impending lie.  Would Brendol believe her?  She did not want to be the one to confirm to Brendol that Hux was gay.  It was not her place and Hux would be beyond enraged should she reveal such private information to his prejudiced father.

“Is my son doing drugs?”  Brendol asked with pleading eyes.  The turmoil that had swirled inside her belly dissipated almost immediately to be replaced with a near vertiginous confusion.

“What?”  Phasma replied dumbly.

“Drugs.  Is he on drugs?”  Brendol remarked impatiently.  It took Phasma a second too long to recover.

“Why the hell would you think that?”  Phasma asked.

“For fucks sake, Captain, is that a yes or a no?”

“That’s a hard no!”  Phasma practically cried out.  “Armitage is not on drugs.  Why did you think that?”

Brendol eyed Phasma in narrowed suspicion.  She glared back at him, waiting for his answer.  He finally breathed out, his shoulders relaxing.

“Hmm…I guess I could be wrong.”

“Brendol!”  Phasma badgered.

“Armitage has been…different lately.  He’s mostly his usual stick-up-the-ass self but on particularly hard days-…”

“You mean after you two argue?”  Phasma asked though it hardly sounded questioning.

“Fine.  Yes.  Instead of stewing over it like he generally does, he’ll disappear for a few hours and then come back completely fine.  In fact more than fine.  He’ll be more, uh, what’s the word I’m looking for…?  Chipper.”

“Chipper?  Not a word I would have thought was in your vocabulary.”

“No doubt you saw me cringe when using it.”

“You generally don’t display that kind of mentality.  I didn’t recognize it.”

“Are you sure you don’t know anything about this?”

“Not a thing.  If he were on drugs I’m pretty sure I would be able to tell.”

“No offense, Captain,”  Brendol began.  “But you don’t always possess the awareness to notice these things.”

“First of all, Brendol, I’m not as ignorant as you and Armitage seem to think I am.  And second, I was seventeen and how was I supposed to know you were trying to set up Armitage with Snoke’s daughter?  The way she criticized me, I thought she was looking for a fight.”

“Well, she certainly got one.”  Brendol replied, displaying a rare laugh.  “Snoke still gives me shit about that blonde girl who gave his daughter a black eye.”

“She had it coming.”

“See how I never held that against you?  I agree.  Don’t forget I’m always on your side, Captain.”  Brendol said gruffly.  He was more dour when he showed kindness.  It was not in him to lightly emote his feelings.

“You’re more father to me than anyone on this planet.”  Phasma stated simply, almost like a passing thought.

“I’ve always said Armitage’s greatest strength was in choosing his friends.”

“We agree.”  Phasma lifted her glass.  Brendol raised his and they cheered.

“Don’t relay this conversation to Armitage.”  Brendol said soon after as he cut into his steak.

“I can’t make guarantees.”  Phasma told him.  Brendol grunted like he knew she would say that.  “But I will try to be discreet.  And I will ask him about any drug habits.”

“Get back to me when you do.”

“You have my word.”

 

Phasma was back on set at three in the afternoon.  There were several problems that occurred due to her absence.  Her long lunch already extended the shoot and it was very apparent that Phasma had zero acting experience and her poorly delivered lines took the other actors out of their elements.  She could see Krennic slouched in his director’s chair, hand held over his eyes and fighting back a migraine.

“We’re going to have to come back tomorrow for the rest of the shoot if we’re to meet this deadline.”  Krennic told everyone that night.  The entire company groaned exasperatedly.  Phasma was glad no one had the luxury to witness her turn red in her chagrin beneath the helmet.  At least no one seemed to blame her for it.  Not directly anyway.

 

As soon as she was home, Phasma pulled Hux out of his room and demanded he make dinner for her.  He simply huffed at her and rolled up his sleeves.

As she sat on the stool at the kitchen island, she watched Hux carefully from the corner of her eye as he made a quick pasta primavera for her.  He talked non-stop about trying to implement a department in the studio solely to garner movie and television awards but she was hardly paying attention.  The skin on the inside of his elbows were unblemished.  He didn’t seem to have any visible broken blood vessels.  The whites of his eyes were clear.  His speech was neither impulsive nor slurred.  She didn’t observe anything that would indicate he was high but then again she wasn’t exactly an expert on the matter.  Her furtive approach hardly went unnoticed.

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”  Hux chastised her.  “You’re not going to try to hook me up with that Cardinal guy are you?  I told you, he wears too much red and he’ll clash with my hair.”

“Please, he is much too good looking for you.”  Phasma replied.

“Ah, making snide remarks to avert the question.  Subtle.”  Hux crassed.  “What’s your deal?”

“Nothing really.  I just haven’t seen much of you around.”

“You haven’t seen less of me than usual.  I make dinner for you almost every night.”  He said, sliding a full plate down the kitchen island to her.  He was still wearing his dark gray business suit complete with vest, though he had shrugged out of his suit jacket long before Phasma forced him into the kitchen.

“Eh, maybe I miss the days when we didn’t have responsibilities and we could go to Canto Bight on a whim.  I haven’t carried you out of a casino, drunk and out two grand, in ages.”

“Honestly, I’m glad those days are over.  There’s only so much disappointment my father can take and I don’t miss the hangovers and shame of the following day.”

“Still, we don’t hang out like we used to do.”  Phasma shrugged, rolling her pasta around her fork.  Hux stood still staring at her and she wondered if he knew she was searching for any indication he was dabbling in narcotics.  She carefully avoided his eyes.

“Maybe you’re right.”  Hux finally answered.  “I don’t feel like myself lately and I think it’s because I’ve been too busy working or being angry at my father.  We’ve got the long weekend coming up in a few weeks.  Why don’t we go to the cabin?”

“Just the two of us or everybody?”

“It’s your call.”

“That cabin is bigger than all the childhood houses I’ve ever lived in combined.  Let’s get a group together.”  Phasma decided.  Her decision had ultimately relied on whether or not she wanted Rey there.  She couldn’t go a day without needing the fire of her heart stoked by the brunette’s unceasing seduction.

“Great!  Regular crew?”  Hux asked.

“Everyone in the house and plus ones.”  Phasma replied.  “Oh, and Mitaka.  Should we bring the wakeboards?”

“Might as well.  The lake should be warm enough by then.”

“What about sleeping arrangements?”

“We can figure that out later.  Assuming everyone comes we might have to double bunk.”

“I can handle the gas and travel arrangements.  Are you going to handle the food?”

“Don’t I always?”

“No more bratwursts.  I hate those.  Oh, but get those salmon patties.  They’re delicious.”

“No, they’re not.”

“Fuck you.  Of course they are.  Did we leave charcoal at the cabin?”

“I think so.”

“What about firewood?”

“I’m pretty sure you or Ben are going to have to chop some more.”

“Toiletries?”

“Stocked, of course.”

“Hammock?”

“It’s ripped.  Good call.”

Fishing gear?”

“Why would we take it out of the cabin?”

“Cocaine?”

“The fuck?”  Hux flinched back.  “That’s a weird joke even for you.”

“Just checking.”  Phasma shrugged off.  “Heroin?  Meth?  Crack?”  She went on.

“The hell are you talking about?”  Hux side-eyed her.  “If I didn’t know any better I would think you were insinuating something.”  Phasma studied his face.  Wide green eyes.  Pale sharp face.  Unmoving mouth.  Arched red brow.  Hands in full view.  He wasn’t hiding a thing.

“Just ruffling your uptight feathers, Huxie.”  She snickered.  He rolled his eyes at her and turned to wash the pan.  At least she knew for sure Brendol was wrong about Hux doing drugs.  

 

Everyone had Saturday off but Phasma.  She spent the entire day drenched in sweat beneath the unbreathable metal as she twirled her staff over and over again, take after take.  The lights in the studio certainly didn’t help.

“That’s a wrap, guys!”  Krennic shouted to the crew and everyone bolted for their cars.  Phasma didn’t have the luxury of simply going straight to the parking lot.  She was busy stashing her chrome armor into the chest when Krennic waltzed into the dressing room looking a little beaten.

“Hey, Phasma…”  He turned to her after glancing around and making sure no one was around to hear their discussion.  “I know you said you’re not an actress-…”

“Please don’t make me take acting classes.”  She begged him.

“I don’t want anyone but you in the armor.  Besides, I’m pretty sure no one else can fit it.”

“I’m not sure I see the point.  My face will never be shown.  My voice will never be heard.”

“Still, I think you could benefit a little from it.  I’m not making you take night courses or anything.  I’m calling in a favor from an old friend.”

“You already told someone about me?”  Phasma grimaced.

“I didn’t say your name.  He just knows I want you to get a basic feel of acting.  He’s the best there is.”

“Ugh…”  Phasma sighed.  “Fine.  I’ll try it.”

“I can always count on you.”  He smiled.  He handed her a name and a number and told her she was expected to call by tomorrow.  Krennic bolted away leaving Phasma feeling demoralized.  She looked at the card in her hand.

_Obi-Wan Kenobi - Master Class Acting Instructor_

 

It was six in the evening and Phasma entered the house on exhausted legs.  She slammed the door shut merely because she was too tired to put effort into being gentle.  She immediately halted when she entered the living room and saw a gaping fist-sized hole in the wall.  She perked up her ears, listening for any sounds throughout the house but there was only silence.

“The hell happened here?”  She asked the empty room, coming closer to the wall to inspect the damage.  Her fingers lightly touched the broken plaster, causing white dust to toss into the air.

“I thought I heard you come in.”  She heard Rey say behind her.  Phasma turned her head, and did a double take as she watched the brunette lithely ascend the stairs.  She was wearing a thin light blue t-shirt and very revealing shorts.  The way her nipples pert out, she was clearly not wearing a bra.

“Where’s Ben?”  Phasma asked.

“Hux took him somewhere to cool off.  I think they went to the bar.”

“I don’t know that he should be drinking if he’s this angry.”  Phasma conjectured.  “Why was he upset?”

“He got passed over a promotion.”  Rey answered sadly.

“Hmm…Again.”  Phasma shook her head.  “How come you’re not at the bar with them?”

“I was ready to go but Hux told me to stay here and wait for you.”

“Wait for me?  Why?”

“I asked.  He just said someone needed to be here when you came back.  He hustled Ben out the door after that.”

“Where’s Poe?”

“D’Qar.  He’s got a red-eye to fly in the morning.”

Phasma looked back at the hole and sighed.  This was not the first time Ben had punched his fist through a wall.  She stood up and walked heavily to the couch, slumping onto it, wondering if she should call Hux but she didn’t have the energy for it.  It came as no surprise when she sensed Rey sit down next to her.  If Phasma were a predator, she would know that to catch her prey she would have to corner it when it was least able to fight back.  She was prey.  And she could barely stand on her legs.  She looked over at Rey and offered a weak smile, welcoming the chase.

“You look exhausted.”  Rey stated, taking the hint.  She placed her hand onto Phasma’s thigh, massaging her fingers into the muscle.

“Krennic might be trying to kill me.”  Phasma mused.  She was figuring out in her head how far she would allow this to go.  Definitely not to sex.  Certainly some kissing.  Maybe some light fondling?  Would Ben be too upset if he happened to hear about fondling?

“I hope he doesn’t succeed.”  Rey replied casually as she reached to the zipper of Phasma’s silver jacket and pulled it down.  Phasma froze.  Where did this lie on the boundary spectrum?  Even if she thought it went too far, she took too much time trying to analyze it and Rey had already shrugged it off.  Oh well.  She was wearing a t-shirt underneath anyway.

“He might.  He’s going to make me take acting classes.”  Phasma muttered though her voice was coming out lower and more gravelly.  Rey glanced up to her eyes in a soft smirk before trailing her sight back to her t-shirt.

“Sorry to hear you’re effortlessly falling further into a career others are prostituting themselves for.”  Rey answered.

“Thanks for your understanding.”  Phasma remarked sarcastically.  She felt Rey’s hands pushing her towards the right side of the couch.

“Lie down.”  Rey insisted.  Phasma blindingly obeyed with some hesitation.  This was not the direction she was expecting.  Rey guided her so that she was face down and Phasma understood when she felt Rey straddle her lumbar and then hands dug into the muscles of her shoulders, gripping in with arresting relief.  Phasma couldn’t stifle her moan of approval.

“Where does it hurt the most?”  Rey asked her while she knead her aching muscles.

“Everywhere.”  Phasma responded.  She sensed a smile from Rey.  Phasma breathed out heavily after each stroke of Rey’s hands on her back, fingers deftly massaging out the tension along her traps and deltoids.  After long minutes of working the tissue around her clavicles, Rey’s hands strayed down her rhomboids and along her lats, her thumbs pressing blissfully into the muscle along her spine.  Rey worked at it, long moments passing by as she rubbed her hands into her lower back and then smoothed them up her whole torso again.  Phasma went numb, her head empty of thoughts.  She could only focus on the buzz of relief her aching joints melted into.  She couldn’t protest if she wanted to when Rey’s hands slid under her shirt, making full contact with the skin there.

Now Phasma became aware that the sublime heaven she was in could actually be better without the filament of cotton between her back and Rey’s hands.  Rey pushed her hands further up her back, carrying the t-shirt up with her.  Once the shirt was bunched up under Phasma’s arms and around her neck, Rey pulled it up and Phasma lifted her head and together they managed to yank the shirt out of their way.  Phasma was half-surprised to feel her bra loosened from behind, the straps tossed away so they hung limply to her sides.  Rey started back on her shoulders, going over the muscles again now that access was easier.

After a few minutes, Phasma was aware of Rey’s soft breathing.  Shallow and quick.  She had no doubt that if she saw her, she would see dark pupils and flushed skin.  Without even thinking, Phasma shifted slightly so that her body arched up into Rey where their bodies met.  The hands on her back froze momentarily before resuming again in long, broad strokes.  There was an added movement near her lumbar.  Rey’s hips moved in a tight sway so minuscule that though Phasma could feel it, she wondered if anyone could see it if they were standing across the room watching them.  The thought of those toned legs lying on either side of her sent a warm shiver up her spine.

Rey’s hands were at the back of her long neck, stroking up her traps where the muscle met her skull.  Thumbs rubbed slowly into the crevices of her neck, releasing the tension pent up inside the tissue.  Phasma choked back a moan as she felt the pain dissipate pleasurably.  Rey paid special attention to her neck before reaching her fingers into her scalp, gently brushing her hair in between her fingertips.

Rey was reaching the length of Phasma’s long torso.  Phasma tensed as she felt Rey’s breasts pressed into her bare back.  There was nothing separating the contact of their skin.  When had Rey taken off her shirt?

Her thoughts went into overload.  If she simply turned to look she would discover Rey half nude, flushed and excited on top of her.  A heat of excitement rushed through Phasma’s groin.  Of course she wanted to see those perky breasts Rey had tried to push into her face on numerous occasions.  Where did that stand on the boundary line?  Was that over?  Under?  Phasma could see the line blurring in her mind.  Where did anything stand?  There was a sudden surge of current that short-circuited her brain when she felt lips press lightly on her neck.

Phasma sucked in at the touch, her body suddenly tensing heavily then relaxing until more kisses settled up her neck and just below her ear.  Fingers were still in her hair, making her dizzy in bliss.  This hadn’t exactly pushed the boundaries she had placed for herself but it was a wild train headed into the badlands.  Phasma pushed up on her arms, carrying Rey with her who was still sitting on her back.

“I should stop this.”  Phasma could barely bring herself to hoarsely whisper as she turned around.  Rey made no intention of moving off of her.  “I can’t-…”  Rey’s only answer was her mouth pushed tightly to Phasma’s in a hungry kiss.  She smoothly arched herself against Phasma, their bodies pressed entirely together forcing the blonde to slump back onto the couch with the weight of the brunette on top of her.  Phasma felt teeth gently pulling at her bottom lip and she put her hands at Rey’s waist to push her away but found herself betraying her own good intentions.  She arched up and pressed Rey closer to her, feeling their hips slide gracefully.

Rey was insatiable.  She thirsted for Phasma, her mouth taking command over Phasma’s as she nipped and sucked and kissed ravenously.  Her body rocked along Phasma, pressing into her abdomen and taking what she could get in the time Phasma had lost control.  It was the moment Phasma could feel the heat Rey emitted along her abdomen that the blonde struggled to come to her senses.  She was almost cross-eyed as she jarred herself out of Rey’s domination.

“Can’t-…”  She breathed into Rey’s mouth.  “…do this.”  Though she didn’t take the initiative to push Rey away anymore.  Every inch of her body was more than welcoming to the onslaught.

“You can.”  Rey insisted between impassioned kisses.  Phasma felt fingernails scraping through her hair and along her shoulders in impossible gratification.  She shook her head, willing herself to snap out of her submission.

“Shouldn’t…”  She tried again though her lips were too busy returning heated kisses.  Rey slipped her tongue into her mouth, begging her to just relent entirely.  Phasma groaned in both pleasure and dismay, knowing she was losing the battle against herself.  She had to try again.  For Ben.

“Ben’s…”  Phasma uttered through hisses as Rey brushed her body along Phasma’s, gasping at the full contact of their exposed skin.  “…hurting.”  Rey shook her head.

“ _I’m_  hurting.”  She replied in a near whine.  Phasma looked into Rey’s eyes and was shocked to find truth in her words.  Her brows were furrowed, eyes staring into Phasma, imploring her not to push her away.  Her kisses had stalled as she leaned over the blonde, daring her to look further into her soul.  Phasma stared back at Rey in new wonderment.  Was she really causing her agony?  With Phasma hesitant, Rey resumed her attack, dipping her mouth into the crevice of Phasma’s neck and sucking on the sensitive skin.  Phasma moaned in response, her mind going completely paralyzed.  She internally fought back to gain any semblance of brain activity but she was too far gone.  Of their own accord, her hands reached out to Rey, grabbing her under the thighs and running up her legs and under the shorts, gripping bare flesh between her fingers.  She squeezed her ass, encouraging the brunette to move forward and she took the hint, leaning further over Phasma so that she could take a nipple into her mouth.  Rey gasped and rocked into Phasma’s hands, hissing her name as she went.

The garage door opened and slammed shut, then two voices rang out as they bickered over something Phasma couldn’t make out.  Rey jumped off Phasma like she was on fire, running as silently as she could towards the stairs wearing only her shorts.  Phasma grabbed her silver jacket and threw it on, zipping it up just as Rey disappeared upstairs and Hux and Ben entered the room.

“...not like the last time.”  Ben was saying to Hux.

“How is it any different?  It’s still a hole in the wall.”  Hux remarked, waving a hand towards Ben’s evidence of anger issues.  They both spotted Phasma at the same time, pausing in mid-motion before resuming again with new expressions.

“There you are.”  Hux said to her as he crossed his arms over his chest.  “You missed the fun.”

“It sounds like there’s still more to be had.”  Phasma answered.  Her voice came out hoarse, untested after Rey’s intensity.

“What’s with you?”  Ben asked her, an arched dark brow wavering in curiosity.  “You seem…flustered.”

“I’ve been on the lot on my day off fighting in a thirty pound chrome suit of armor for ten hours and then I came back to a hole in the wall.  I’m pretty flustered.”  Phasma agreed.

“See.”  Hux responded.  “I told you Phas wouldn’t give you any slack either.”

“Can’t I rely on my friends for support?”  Ben whined through rising anger.  Phasma immediately felt bad about concealing her flush with feigned irritation.

“You’re right, Ben.  Sorry.”  She sighed.  “I’m just exhausted and didn’t expect this.”  She waved her hand at the wall.

“I’m going downstairs.”  Ben huffed as he tromped to the gym in the basement.  They watched him go before Hux turned to Phasma.

“But really, what’s with you?”  He asked, eyeing her inquisitively.

“What do you mean?”  Phasma pretended to be offended.

“You seem a little off.”  He answered.  “Not in the way a hole in the wall would cause.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”  She replied.  His green eyes flickered to her jacket and she wondered if he could tell it was the only thing covering her torso.  “Do you have any theories?”  She challenged.  He briefly gazed at her before drawing in a sigh.

“No.”  He said.


	11. Rey's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey tells it like it is. Phasma finally reads the rest of Rey's files.

Ben was working out so hard Phasma could hear his grunts from the kitchen.  She went downstairs to confront him.  He was reclined, bench pressing more than his usual regimen and glimpsed at her from the corner of his eyes as she ascended the stairs.

“You should really have a spotter.”  She told him.

“What do you care?”  He demanded.  The moment he said it she could see the instant regret in his expression.  He racked the weight and sat up, his chest rising and falling in deep waves.  She came to him and sat beside him on the bench.

“You do know I care, right?”  She told him.  It took him a few hesitant seconds to nod his head, like accepting it would somehow be a lie.

“Yes.”  Was all he said.

“And so does Hux.”

“So he told me.”

“And so does Rey.”

Ben hung his head at her name.  There was a furrow to his brow and Phasma wondered if he was going to cry but it cleared and he sighed heavily and nodded his head.

“Of course she does.”  He replied.  “But I think she’s pushing me away.”

“Why would she do that?”  She asked.  He seemed to know but wouldn’t voice it.

“She has her reasons.”  He answered sadly.

“Well, I won’t pretend to know or tell you how to fix it.  I’m just here to shove sunshine up your ass and to spot you.”

“Oh?”  He actually allowed a tick of a smile to form on his mouth.  “Should we start with the sunshine or the spot?”

“Why not both?”  She replied as she got behind the bar.  He lay down and started another rep.  By the end of the workout Phasma had climbed him a little further out of his funk.  It was getting harder these days as he seemed to need more support than just encouraging words and a friendly nudge on the shoulder, but he seemed grateful anyway and less gloomy.  

Later that evening she was in her room when she heard Ben knock on Rey’s door and enter.  There were muffled voices for several long minutes followed by laughter.  Phasma smiled to herself.  She went to bed before Ben left, avoiding Rey’s nightly ritual of asking for a good night kiss.

 

The next day Phasma got in touch with Obi-Wan Kenobi.  The conversation went better than she would have expected considering the humiliation she was feeling about doing something she wasn’t interested in anyway but he seemed like an understanding man and his natural subdued tone put her at ease.  They agreed to meet on the lot an hour before she was scheduled for another shoot the next day.  When she told Hux about having to meet with Obi-Wan, instead of the mocking laughter she was expecting, he turned to her in wide-eyed fascination.

“You’re meeting Obi-Wan Kenobi tomorrow?”  He exclaimed.  “ _THE_  Obi-Wan Kenobi?”

“I’m not sure which _THE_  Obi-Wan Kenobi you’re speaking of but I am meeting _an_  Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

“He’s the best acting instructor there is!”  Hux flared up his arms in shock.  “How do you not know who he is?”  Phasma simply shrugged.

She found out what Hux meant the next day.  Obi-Wan immediately relaxed her into the idea of acting almost like his words were willing her to accept this fate.  He asked her about her experience and then took her through breathing exercises and gave her a book to read on her downtime.  They would meet again every morning that week until she showed a basic understanding of the art.

 

Surprisingly, everyone in the house had some form of acting experience except for Phasma.  Rey had taken acting courses as part of her writing degree fulfillments, Hux had been the lead in two of their high school plays, Ben had been in some commercials when he was a child and Poe had once been part of a community theater for a year when one of his ex-girlfriends had dragged him into it.  Obi-Wan gave Phasma acting exercises which the group was more than willing to flex their skills in an attempt to help her improve.  It allowed Phasma to break out of her self-consciousness and not feel so silly performing in front of others.  Like most things, she practiced the hell out of it until she gained a reasonable modicum of skill.  In the morning she met with Obi-Wan Kenobi.  At night the gang laughed until their sides hurt from all the ridiculous exercises they put themselves through.  It didn’t hurt that the nightly group practices brought the house into a deeper sense of belonging.  Even Ben seemed to be enjoying himself again.

 

During that time, Rey stood waiting at Phasma’s door when the blonde came to turn in for the night.  It had been three days since they had nearly had sex in the living room and Phasma had played out every scenario in her mind since then about how to approach this very moment.  Rey gave her a provocative gaze, eyes glancing approvingly to the yoga pants Phasma wore.

“Are we going to talk about it?”  Rey asked her.

“No.”  Phasma replied.

“We also don’t have to _talk_ about it.”  Rey offered.

“He’s already punched a hole in the wall about not getting a promotion.  I don’t want to know what he would do if he found out we were fooling around.”

“You do realize that you’re putting his feelings above mine.”

“And mine.”  Phasma hesitantly agreed.  “But he’s not at his best right now.”

“You’ve known him for four years.”  Rey replied.  “I’ve known him all my life.  He’s never going to be his best because he doesn’t put the effort in.  He’s a perpetual victim.”

“Let’s give him more credit than that.”  Phasma said, feeling a little defensive.  “I’ve seen Ben happy.  I’ve seen him sociable and fun.  He was once dependable for a good time, you know.  He’s the first one we called when Hux and I went on a road trip to Anthum Prime.  He’s the guy I could rely on to pick me up or drop me off at the airport.  He once drove your Uncle Han’s Old Falcon to the cabin just so we had room in the car for all the fireworks we set off that night.  I’ve seen him laugh so hard beer came out his nose.  This is not Ben.  He’ll get better.”

Rey crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at Phasma in an almost condescending way.

“Ben is my cousin but I consider him my brother.  He never complained when he used to carry me on his back through the forest for miles because I cried about my feet hurting.  He snuck me out of school when I was thirteen so that we could go to the Alderaan state fair all day.  He taught me how to fish and how to hunt and he never treated me like I was incapable of doing something on my own.  I love Ben but you’ve never seen him at his worst.  I’ve seen him disappear for days because he couldn’t face Aunt Leia’s extreme moods.  I’ve seen him angrily punch his fists into trees so hard his knuckles were bloody and broken.  I’ve seen him nearly snap a boy’s arm because he was goading me about not going to prom with him.  I’ve seen him tear out his own hair and cry into his fists for two straight days and then not even know why he did it.  The Ben living here now is the Ben you’ve known all along.  He can’t get better if he doesn’t get help.  Uncle Han knows it and that’s why Ben won’t talk to him anymore.”  Rey answered through a rising sense of irritation.  “Now, you know what I want from you and for once I just want to hear what you want from me.  I want you to pretend there’s nothing wrong with the idea of us.  Can you do that for me?  Can you just allow yourself to get off your high horse and tell me what it is you actually want?”

Phasma stared into Rey, unable to figure out what it was she should say.  What she wanted was for everything to fall into place like a fucking miracle with absolutely no consequences at all.  She wanted a Deus Ex Machina to sail through the clouds on a mythical beast dispensing perfect existences to her and all her friends.  She wanted Ben to be like he was the first year, fun and adventurous and full of life.  She wanted Hux to outgrow his father and be secure in himself.  She wanted Rey on her bed, naked and open to her, blanketed in ecstasy she administered.  

But this wasn’t what Rey was asking.  She wanted to know if she valued her over her cousin and all Phasma could think of was, why should she?  She had known Ben much longer than Rey.  She was in a situation that would implode if things didn’t work out.  And chances were they wouldn’t.  She wasn’t even sure why Rey wanted her.  She could find just about any number of partners, so why choose the one that her cousin pined for?  Was this some kind of sick game between them?

But then Phasma searched Rey’s face and it was impossible that this young, innocent woman was pursuing her to spite her cousin.  Rey was one of the most self-assured, strong and intelligent women Phasma had ever known.  She was kind and driven, hard-working and caring, and despite her struggles not to be affected by Ben’s moods, she was a loving and positive person especially to her cousin.  Phasma had been interested in the beautiful girl at the party.  She wanted the woman she had come to know.

Rey tapped her foot impatiently.  Too many thoughts were fogging her mind and Phasma tried to give an answer, her mouth opening but no words coming out.  With a loud huff, Rey turned around and disappeared into her room, closing the door forcefully behind her.

 

Rey was not there to lasciviously eye Phasma in the mornings after her workout.  She was no longer begging for brief kisses and making light touches.  There were no more smiles and flirtatious glances.  Rey treated Phasma exactly as she had after she found out who she was.  She was relegated back to her ‘cousin’s friend.’

“Are we no longer friends?”  Phasma asked Rey on their way to the studio.  Rey glanced to the floor, searching for the right word.

“We’re roommates.”  She stated.

“So…not friends.”  Phasma clarified.

“Give me time.  For a long while it wasn’t friendship I wanted from you.”  Rey simply shrugged.  Before Phasma had gotten to know her, she would have assumed that Rey was already over her.  That furrow of her brow and slight frown to her lips indicated otherwise.

 

Krennic was downright shocked at the improvement Phasma’s acting skill made over the week.

“Where the hell was this command of speech last Saturday?”  He asked her.  Phasma, decked in chrome and hidden beneath a helmet, merely shrugged.

“Obi-Wan is a good instructor.”  She offered.  At the end of the day, Anakin came up to her to compliment her hard work.  They talked shop and Phasma was surprised at how natural it came to her.  She asked for pointers that he was glad to impart and suddenly she was regarded as the front part of the crew, no longer in the background.  It was a strange and quick transition, especially as she was still welcomed in both areas.

 

Rey was civil.  She thanked Phasma for the rides to and from work and offered to pay for gas.  She still sat down to breakfast with her and Ben and she still watched episodes of Outland Base when the group was together but most of the time she shut herself in her room and wrote.  Even Hux noticed her distant behavior.

“She’s still coming with us to the cabin, right?”  He asked.  He and Phasma were busy making the list of things to bring.  It was going to be a full house.  Everyone was coming, including Poe’s new girlfriend Amilyn Holdo and Unamo who was apparently now dating Mitaka.

“I think she’s losing hope.”  Ben answered.  “It’s been weeks since she submitted those test scripts to the Outland Base writers and she hasn’t heard from them.”

“Surely they would let her know if they were going to pass on her work.”  Hux surmised.

“Especially since she works with them.  It would be pretty humiliating to have to see them everyday after getting rejected.”  Ben replied.  Phasma thought that was a little pessimistic.  Rey was the kind of person to hold her head up high even in the face of rejection.

She could hear the muted mad typing of Rey’s keyboard next door as she entered her room.  Apparently the thoughts were fierce tonight because the pace of her fingers seemed to fly at a superhuman rate.  If their exchange hadn’t happened over a week ago, Phasma would have wondered if it was her Rey was writing about.

She remembered the folder on her computer waiting to be read.  Phasma had been too apprehensive to read it.  There had been so little to bind her to her moral righteousness that she was well aware knowing Rey’s thoughts would have influenced her exactly in the direction Rey wanted her to go.  Now that she wasn’t being constantly seduced she could go back to the folder in relative ease.  Her curiosity was brimming by the time she opened her laptop.

 

_Fate has been wickedly cruel to me.  The name Phasma Tarkin has never been anything but a myth until now.  I should never have underestimated Ben’s fascination with her._

Phasma guessed correctly that the second entry would be about the night they had sex in Jaime’s trailer.  Having the emotional and physical high narrated from Rey’s point of view steered Phasma into a sexual fever.  By the end of the recount she was blushing from head to toe in a lustful heat.  It was like having two memories of that night.  When combined it amplified the experience to a whole other level.  This was definitely Rey’s porn stash.

The journal went on to describe Rey’s feelings about discovering Phasma’s identity.  Astonishment.  Confusion.  Light heartache.  Guilt.  She was sure to include that there were no regrets though.  

 

_I’m surprised Ben never mentioned she was blonde.  He talks about her all the time but that’s one thing I don’t recall ever hearing.  Oh, well.  What’s done is done.  The only thing that might ever cause me to cringe in recall is if she turns out to be a Grade A asshole._

The rest of the entry went on about Ben’s dreariness and that she will absolutely not pursue Phasma out of respect for Ben’s feelings.

There was a large gap between dates.  The next one was a few months later about a moment that Phasma actually had no memory of.

 

_Phasma has occasionally been giving me rides to and from work so I’ve gotten to know her a little better.  I happened to see her on the lot this morning and she was dressed as one of those white armored soldiers constantly invading the outland base.  She was talking to a group of people, apparently holding court because she said something and everyone, including the great Chewy Mayhew, laughed in response.  She seems to be pretty popular around the set.  Whenever I mention her people launch into a lively story or two about her daring stunts but then they go on to say she’s one of the most respected people they know.  And tall.  She’s always the tallest woman they’ve ever met._

_On the way back home, I told Phasma she was well liked on the lot.  She seemed genuinely surprised._

The entry seemed completely banal.  What reason was there to apply this thought to paper?  Apparently it reflected enough on Rey to make her commit it to her journal.  There were others like it.

 

_Ben, Poe and Phasma took Finn and I to some place called the SmorgasPorg.  There was a child who had lost her balloon to the ceiling and Phasma climbed up on a table and retrieved it for her with most of the patrons looking on.  Ben chastised her for it but Phasma contended she wasn’t going to let a child be upset if she had the ability to do something about it._

_Phasma paid for everyone’s meal citing it was because she didn’t chip in for the beer run last Saturday.  I glanced at the bill.  She tipped the waiter thirty percent._

_\------------------_

_I went to the local bar that Phasma, Hux and Ben go to fairly frequently.  Phasma hustled some guy who claimed to be some kind of pool tournament champion.  He got belligerent and demanded his money back.  She took off her silver jacket and gave him a stare down.  The idiot took one look at her gorgeous muscular arms and ran off._

_Some guy bought me a drink but I refused it, not wanting to lead him on.  He was uncomfortably persistent.  Ben was about to literally shove his pool cue up the guy’s ass but Phasma stopped him and told the guy to fuck off.  I wish I could recall verbatim the wording she used but it was eloquent enough to leave that asshole completely blindsided._

_She has beautiful lips._

_\------------------_

_I often see Phasma reading books between setups.  They’re nothing out of the ordinary though I’m always respectful of any reader whether it’s hard philosophy or romance novels.  She likes to read books about true crime or magazines with flashy cars and motorcycles.  Today she was reading Tolstoy’s War and Peace.  If I ever see her reading one of my favorite books, I might not be able to stop this freefall._

_\------------------_

_Today Phasma gave one of the child actors a ride on her back to set.  So damn cute._

_\------------------_

_Makeup gave Phasma a haircut today.  Jesus Fucking Christ._

_\------------------_

_Now she’s reading To Kill a Mockingbird.  I can’t anymore…_

 

After all the shorter entries, Phasma came across one she had a better memory of.  It went into a more in depth recount of the event but there was a passage that struck her the most.

 

_I tried to kiss Phasma but I’m not even sure how noticeable my lapse in judgement was.  I caught her looking at my farm staff and asked her if she wanted a lesson solely because I wanted to see her flushed again like that night in her friend’s trailer.  She’s amazingly good at hand-to-hand combat.  I’ve never enjoyed myself so much when sparring with someone.  Somehow I managed to pin her arms above her head and when I looked in her wonderfully blue eyes I completely lost myself in them.  In the beginning it was easy to overcome my attraction to her, but now that I know what kind of woman she is I’m finding I can’t stop thinking about her.  I can’t stop wanting her.  She’s as beautiful on the inside as she is on the out._

It was followed by more entries that Phasma vaguely had memories of.  These were the following snippets that burned in her mind.

 

_There was a shoot for a movie in which Phasma was scheduled to perform the motorcycle stunts.  I had the opportunity to watch her from the sidelines.  She waved to me as she sat on the motorcycle, waiting for the setup, wearing a black leather jacket and helmet.  Somehow that wave set off a fire within my body.  The intensity of it can not be contained without either fighting it with more fire or letting itself burn out.  For Ben’s sake, I let the embers die on their own but not without a feeling of loss._

_I love the way she looks upon that motorcycle, all finesse and dexterity to command such an impetuous machine.  She makes it look so easy, like an extension of herself.  I want to wrap my arms around her and let her carry me off to another world where I can think of her without the cloud of shame to follow._

_\------------------_

_Hux asked Phasma to take the room Finn left vacant.  She seems interested though she also seems wary of how Ben would feel about that.  She asked for my thoughts of her moving in and my first inclination was to think how horrible an idea that would be.  I’m already obsessed with the thought of her and this would only exacerbate the situation.  Naturally, I lied and indicated there was nothing between us.  So I told her to move in._

_\------------------_

_I let Phasma read one of my scripts.  She said it was fantastic.  She seemed sincere about it. I’m losing my resolve.  She is killing me._

_\------------------_

_I’ve got to stop hanging out near the bathroom when Phasma comes back from her workout.  I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate the fact I’m committing her image in my mind for use alone in my room at night._

_\------------------_

_Oh, god, where to start?  So much happened in the last ten minutes!  Phasma was incredibly flirty with me, making me blush like a fucking Catholic whore in confession.  She asked to read another one of my scripts.  She fucking saw my folder with her name on it!  Why the hell would I label it that?  Why was I not more discreet?_

_She almost kissed me.  SHE almost kissed ME.  I thought she was no longer attracted to me.  Now that I know she has at least some interest, I don’t know what to do.  My infatuation with her can be buried where Ben would never see it but with the advent that Phasma is within my grasp, I don’t know if this is worth pursuing._

_Speaking of Ben, he came into my room asking me to move back in with Uncle Han and Aunt Leia for bullshit reasons.  He has become so selfish in the past year.  I can’t stand that my happiness causes him pain.  It’s not just me.  Hux got a giant bonus and took everyone in the house to the local casino last weekend and Ben was grumpy the whole time.  I’m pretty sure it was because Hux’s bonus was more than Ben’s annual salary._

_\------------------_

_I told Phasma that I wasn’t going to bow to Ben’s whims anymore.  Why are we dancing around his negative moods?  Ben took his shot and missed.  Don’t I deserve a chance to win Phasma?  I’m no longer giving it an invalidating name.  I’m not infatuated.  I’m not obsessed.  I’m in love with Phasma._

_There.  I said it.  It feels like both life and death._

_\------------------_

_I ran into Phasma wearing some kind of chrome soldier costume.  There has never in the history of sexy been anything more sexy.  I want to fuck her so bad._

 

It was two in the morning when Phasma had read the folder in it’s entirety.  To say she was flattered and overwhelmed would be more understated than Ben’s wardrobe.  It was hard to reflect on what she had just read because at first it had seemed like Rey had been describing someone Phasma didn’t know and then slowly she began to see pictures of herself in the words that Rey wrote.  By the time Rey had declared herself in love, Phasma was sure she had too.  The woman she had fallen for was one weak plaster barricade away.  But now that she realized her feelings she had probably already lost her.

 

It was hard to look at Rey after knowing her thoughts.  All Phasma saw anymore was the loss she felt in her heart.  At breakfast, Phasma handed Rey the box of cereal when she asked for it.  Their fingers briefly touched and Rey looked into Phasma’s eyes for the first time that morning.  She froze in place.

“You read the rest of the folder, didn’t you?”  Rey asked.  Phasma, wide-eyed in her amazement that Rey picked up on something so subtle, simply nodded.  Rey sighed heavily and coldly averted her eyes for the rest of breakfast.  She took the bus to work.


	12. Smutty smut smut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey gets what she wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually two chapters combined into one. I usually don't post a chapter until I have the next few written out but unfortunately life calls and I haven't had a lot of time to write. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long.
> 
> Also, there's mention of speeder bikes. I simply wanted to use more Star Wars lingo so they are obviously not actual speeder bikes but rather a type of motorcycle. Think crotch rocket.

It took several days but by Monday Rey was back to pretending everything was okay.  Her mood was what Phasma would consider ‘guarded professionalism’.  There was nothing to indicate to the outsider that Rey was harboring any feelings for Phasma at all.  Phasma, however, was inundated with a constant inner turmoil, longing to be with Rey but not knowing if she blew her chances and whether it was wise to pursue anyway.

Throughout all this, Phasma needed someone to talk to about it and the only person she felt safe enough to discuss it with was Hux.  While she knew he would listen and be supportive she was also aware he would frown on the idea of giving Ben anymore hardship than he was already under.  He probably wouldn’t be completely happy that this kind of drama was happening in his house either.  Ben was already on his way to tearing the house down and whatever had happened between Finn and Rey was another issue that Hux didn’t love discussing.  While Hux was a dramatic person, he didn’t enjoy the drama instigated by others.  He would probably scoff that Phasma, of all people, was squarely set in the middle of one.  Besides, it was better to give Hux plausible deniability if it ever came to it.

Phasma burdened herself with simply pretending Rey meant nothing more than a roommate to her.  It was better this way for everyone.  The effort was soul crushing.

 

“Should you be driving?”  Rey asked Phasma as they traveled to the lot on Wednesday morning in Phasma’s 4Runner.  Rey had more test scripts in her hand; submissions for two other shows on the lot including Tatooine Cantina Pimp.  Phasma was glad to see that she was getting more opportunities to find a writing career.  There wasn’t anyone in the world Phasma thought deserved it more than Rey.

“If you’re so worried, you could have always taken the bus.”  Phasma replied, barely stifling a yawn.

“It’s too late now, obviously.”  Rey observed.  “I never heard you come back home last night.”

“I came back around four.”

“So you’re running on three hours of sleep?”

“Yep.”  Phasma declared, letting the last letter pop.

“Where was the night shoot?”

“In the planetscape lot.  Krennic wanted a fight where the chrome armor is highlighted by the moonlight.  I’m kind of excited to see the scene when it airs because it was an especially brutal fight.”

“Hey, by the way, I saw that Captain Phasma was in the next script again.  That’s four weeks in a row.”

“I can’t believe they’re still calling him that.”  Phasma replied.

“Why not?  I think it’s better than Grand Moff.”  Rey answered.

“No, I mean using my first name.  I’m pretty sure Mace would have preferred something more masculine sounding.”

“Hux’s dad is certainly intimidating.”

“Have you ever met him?”

“No.”

“He’s gruff but he means well.”

“That’s what they said about Palpatine.”  Rey remarked.  “And look where that almost got us.”  Phasma laughed.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t put Brendol in the same category as a disgraced dictator but I get your point.”  Phasma quickly averted her eyes from the road to glance at Rey.  She was smirking to herself, amused by her own humor.  She had a lightness about her that Phasma knew was most likely faked but even if it wasn’t, Phasma envied her for it.  Between Ben and Rey, she was wrapped up in conflicting thoughts all the time, weighing her down till she was exhausted and unable to think anymore.

“You’re still coming with us to the cabin on Friday, right?”  Phasma asked her.

“Of course.”  Rey replied.  “I’m anxious to see the place that Ben allegedly jumped over a pillar of fire.”  The memory set off another laugh from Phasma.

“He did indeed.  I was there.”  Phasma nodded.  “Although, I wouldn’t really say jumped over rather than fell on his ass in it and then ran screaming into the lake to douse himself out.  I can’t believe he only sustained the minimal burns that he did.”

“I hope he does a reenactment.”  Rey joked though there was almost a hint that she wasn’t being funny at all.  It reminded Phasma of Rey’s building resentment of her cousin.

“You know, we may have to double bunk while we’re there.”  Phasma said.  “Hux, Ben, you and I are going to have to figure out how to split two rooms.”

“I would have thought you claimed Hux already.”  Rey responded.  It sounded like she was trying hard not to sound bitter.

“I’m just saying, if you’re not comfortable sharing a room with Ben, I wouldn’t mind letting the two of them take one room and then you-…”

“I’ll take the couch.”  Rey interrupted.  “There are couches there, right?”

“Yeah, sure.”  Phasma confirmed.

“Good, and then when you get up for your early morning run I can taunt you from my warm, comfy couch.”  Rey smiled.  Phasma’s gut felt full of rocks.

 

Mace Windu was on set looking around until he spotted the chrome armored soldier practicing quick draws with a blaster pistol.

“Phasma!”  He waved.  Captain Phasma reholstered her weapon and lifted her helmet off her head to address him.  “You and Rey Walker are roommates, right?”

“Yes, why?”

“Come with me.”  In complete bewilderment, Phasma followed.

“Is she okay?”  She asked him.

“Yeah, yeah, of course.”  Mace answered but offered nothing else.

“Should I get out of costume?”

“No need.”  He took her through the main building and ushered her into a room where she was stunned to find many of the actors and almost all of the PA’s there, including Rey.  Phasma practically flinched back when she saw Hux standing beside her.

“Shouldn’t you be crushing the dreams of some overzealous producers somewhere?”  She asked him.

“I decided to take time out of my dream crushing duties to come down and see my roommates.”  He answered.  Phasma noticed he had a glint in his eye, the one where he was bursting to tell some form of secret.

“Is that everyone?”  Mace asked Hux.  Hux nodded.  “Okay then, everyone, this is unorthodox but we have a very special announcement that we’d like to make…”

Phasma had been apart of these kinds of announcements before.  It was usually when one of the PA’s ended up breaking into the acting scene.  It was also usually the director or producer who made the announcement.  And a studio vice president was never in attendance.  Phasma was suddenly incredibly hopeful.  She looked to Rey but she seemed completely mystified by the event.

“One of our very own will be moving on.”  Mace said in a broad grin.  Excited muffled voices floated in the air, looking to each other in curiosity.  Everyone shook their heads confirming it wasn’t them and they didn’t know who it was.  “Now, usually we don’t spring this on anyone without confirmation but I have it on good authority that this surprise will be well received.  And so, Rey Walker…”

Rey’s eyes bugged out in shock.  She stared at Mace and looked for confirmation that he had actually said her name.  He beckoned her forward.  Hux placed his hand gently to her back and gave her a slight push in Mace’s direction.  As she walked forward, her jaw seemed to unhinge further with every step.

“Congratulation are in order for Rey!”  Mace exclaimed, putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face the elated crowd of people.  “She is Outland Base’s newest junior writer!”  Heavy applause broke out and Rey covered her face with both hands, leaving only her eyes to glance out in surprise and appreciation.  Glimmers of tears formed in the corner of her eyes as friends and colleagues came to her in congratulatory hugs.

“Why didn’t you tell me this was going to happen?”  Phasma asked Hux as they stood by and watched Rey get bombarded with genuine happiness for her success.

“I only happened to find out this morning.  By the way, you have about ten missed messages on your phone.  I had to tell Mace to go find you on the lot.”

“You couldn’t get a PA?”

“Where do you think they all were?”  He indicated to everyone in the room.  He then turned to her, green eyes glazing admirably over her chrome armor.  “You know, I’d heard this costume is something but it is truly magnificent.”

“You like it?  You might fit into it.”

“I don’t think I could walk two steps without falling over.”  His phone vibrated and made a short, sharp tone in his breast pocket.  He drew it out and read the text message he just received.  Ah, good, that’s everyone.”  He confirmed, slipping it back in his pocket.

“What’s everyone?”

“I’m taking everyone to a celebratory lunch.”  Hux smiled.  “You, Rey, me, Ben, Poe, Mitaka and whoever else Rey wants to invite.  We leave in an hour.”

 

Rey had many friends she wanted to invite.  Hux had to assure her that there was no limit to the amount of people she wanted at her luncheon.  The most famous person in the group was Padme Amidala who could not stop gushing over how Rey was going to make such an excellent fit in the writer’s room.

“And now you’re going to be at the table reads!”  Padme rejoiced.  “You can sit next to Phasma while she reads hers.”

“Which is weird that I’m there since my voice is going to be dubbed by someone else.”  Phasma replied.

“It’s just a formality until they cast a voice actor.”  Padme waved a dismissive hand through the air.  “Besides, you’ve gotten so much better at acting.  I like having you there with us at the table reads.”

Ben was the last to arrive, still decked out in his gray tech jumpsuit.  He took one look at all the people in the room and took the chair beside Hux.

“I thought you said it was going to just be us housemates.”  Phasma heard him say.

“I said the housemates were all invited.  I didn’t say it was just us.”  Hux replied.

“Who are all these people?”

“Friends of Rey’s.  She’s got a special announcement.”  He jutted his head towards Rey who was across the room babbling animatedly with Poe.  He held her in a tight congratulatory embrace.  They were both smiling wildly, words exchanged at hyperspeed.  Phasma could see Rey hold her arms out ecstatically, her mouth forming the words ‘Right? I know!’ to whatever it was Poe had said.

Ben sat quietly in his chair throughout the luncheon, barely feigning happiness when Rey pounced to him, her actions practically begging for his approval.  Phasma could tell he did the best he could and somewhere in there she knew he was proud of her but there was a hidden frown upon Rey’s face during the conversation and she bounded away before her mood could be anymore effected by Ben’s.

Hux ordered champagne for the group and then raised a toast.  Everyone held their glasses up as the vice president of administration and operations held a hand out to Rey.

“Thank you all for coming out to celebrate this remarkable person.”  He began.  “Rey, you’re a brilliant writer and a wonderful friend.  The show is very lucky to have you on board as they are soon to find out.  You bring out the best in everyone and there is no one more deserving than you.  Good luck to you at this time, the beginning of your journey and may you have a long, successful writing career!”

Rey was beaming from ear to ear while a smattering of ‘Hear, hear!’s’ were called out and then everyone downed their champagne.  There was wild applause as they congratulated Rey.  Phasma looked to Ben who sat hunched in his chair, looking away at the scene.  He finally rose out of his chair in slight disgust.

“I have to go back to work.”  She heard Ben tell Hux and before he could reply Ben was out the door.  Hux shot a look at Phasma and they both shook their heads resignedly.  Phasma glanced at Rey who had witnessed the exchange.  Her composure indicated she was fighting back heartache.  Padme said something to her and Rey wrenched herself out of her disappointment, but not without fleeting glimpses at the last place Ben disappeared.

 

Phasma was pissed off.  There was nothing more selfish than what Ben had done.  He had taken Rey’s achievements and made them about himself.  He couldn’t even be glad for her when she had asked him.  He had always said that Rey was not just his cousin, she was his sister and there was nothing in his attitude that illustrated he valued her like a sibling this afternoon.

She thought back on the past months when Rey had decided she wasn’t going to let Ben’s moods hold her hostage anymore to what she deserved.  And Rey had been right all along.  Why should Ben’s feelings be safeguarded when he had no thought to reciprocate the same?  Phasma was livid.

She stormed across the lot, phone in hand, writing a professional and well written text to Ben.

 

_You’re an asshole!_

 

Well, maybe it could be more constructive.  She erased it and tried again.

 

_You could have been a little more nicer to Rey._

 

That hardy portrayed her rage with him and he knew that already.  It reminded her he was fighting demons that Phasma knew nothing about.

 

_Hey, do you need to talk?_

 

But what use was that?  She was too angry to put up with his bullshit and it was way above her paygrade anyway.  She didn’t know the first thing about depression.  Without sending a text, she put her phone away.

“Hey, Phasma!”  She heard her name being called.  Phasma turned to see Rey waving to her thirty feet away, walking in her direction.  “What time do you think you’ll get off today?  I’m getting out early and wondered if I should take the bus or wait for you.”  Rey looked up at her with those beautiful brown eyes and it caused a a storm of drums to beat out Phasma’s chest.  She felt her anger dissipate, replaced by a serene gladness at such stunning beauty.  Phasma couldn’t look at Rey without smiling.

“Wait for me.  I’m getting out early too.”

“You are?”  Rey asked in surprise.  “Well, that’s lucky.  Come get me when you’re ready.”  She turned and headed back to the writer’s block.  Phasma had to hurry.  She had a lot to do.  She went to find Peter.

 

“Hey, I’m leaving early today.”  She told the stunt coordinator.

“All right.”  He replied with a slight shrug.  She hustled to props.

 

“Hey, I’m taking this blanket and basket.”

“That’s weird but okay.”  The prop assistant said.  Phasma grabbed them and then went out the door.  She came back in a second later.

“Do you have a blank notebook or anything?”  Phasma asked.  The prop assistant dug into a drawer next to her, pulled out a small brown pad and tossed it to Phasma.  “Thanks!”  She hurried to catering.

 

“Hey, I’m just going to grab a few things.”

“Suit yourself, honey.”  The head caterer replied.  Phasma grabbed a bunch of fruits, nuts, cheeses and breads and put them in the basket.  She hurried to wardrobe.

 

“Hey, I’m borrowing a few jackets and helmets.”  She told Rose.

“What do you need them for?”  Rose asked.

“I need them for today.”  Phasma replied.  Rose opened her mouth but then snapped it shut on further reflection.

“Okay.  Make sure to put it on the out list.”

Phasma held up a small light blue jacket into the air.  That should fit, she thought.  She took a small helmet and then grabbed her standard black jacket and helmet.  She turned to leave but took one step and paused, glancing back at the silver jacket and helmet next to the emptiness from the ones in her hand.  She switched out the black for the silver and headed out the door.  She went to the garage hangar.

 

“Hey, I’m taking one of the speeder bikes out.”  She told the maintenance tech.

“Whatever.”  He waved a hand at her without looking up from his phone.  She grabbed a key, stashed her things into the saddle bag and then roared her engine as she pulled out of the garage.

 

_Phasma: Let me know when you’re at the car._

_Rey: Okay! Five minutes, all right?_

 

Phasma was leaning against her bike, furiously writing in the notebook.  She wished she had given herself more time to do this.  Six minutes later and there was a ding from her phone.

 

_Rey: I’m at the car.  Are you coming?_

_Phasma: Coming right now_

 

She stashed the pad into her saddlebag and flipped her helmet visor down.  With another roar, she sped the bike towards the parking lot.

 

Phasma could see Rey standing near her car, waiting patiently.  The brunette hardly paid the biker any mind until she pulled up right next to her, causing her to stare at her in confusion.  Phasma hopped off the bike and held the blue motorcycle jacket out to Rey.

“Phasma?”  Rey asked the helmeted biker in mild disbelief.

“Let’s go for a ride.”  Phasma told her, shaking the jacket out to her again.  Rey took the jacket and gave the bike a once over in an incredulous stare.

“A ride?”  She stated dumbly.

“Unless you have other plans for the day?”  Phasma asked her.  Rey shook her head mutely until she could find words again.

“No.  Not me.  Nope.”

Phasma helped Rey put her jacket and helmet on.  She gave her pointers on how to ride passenger and then she helped her onto the bike.  Rey seemed to get great enjoyment out of Phasma revving the engine before peeling off onto the roads.

 

There was a long winding road that curved through the hills outside Coruscant and then climbed up the highest ridges and into the dense forests.  Phasma felt Rey’s hands around her waist, clutching into her jacket, her body leaning with Phasma’s with every bend.  The day could not have been more picturesque as they rode through perfect sunshine on an empty stretch of road, scaling higher up the slopes towards the top of the low mountain.  After a while, Phasma pulled onto a dirt road and she sensed Rey’s bewilderment behind her.  She continued down the rocky path until she came to a steel tubular gate, halting the speeder bike alongside it.  She got off the bike and began to remove her helmet and jacket, leaving her in just her jeans and a T-shirt.  Rey sat on the bike, watching her in more confusion though it was hard to see her expression through the visor of the bike helmet.  Her head swiveled all around, glancing for some kind of explanation.  Phasma smiled and came to her, lifting her helmet off her head.  Without a word she reached to Rey’s zipper and began to slide it down the length of her jacket.  Rey hitched in a breath, dark eyes fixed on her as she drew off the clothing.  As Phasma slid her hands down Rey’s arms she felt goosebumps forming under her fingertips.  Rey shyly looked up at her beneath long lashes while Phasma reached behind her to pull the jacket off her hands.  Their faces were unnaturally close and Phasma could hear Rey’s breaths come out in soft gasps.

Phasma then stepped away and placed the jackets and helmets side by side next to the speeder bike then she held her hand out for Rey to take.  Rey grasped it in hers and Phasma helped her off the bike.  Grabbing a blanket and the basket from the saddle bags, she guided Rey towards the gate.

The slats were wide enough for them to duck under and they followed a trail into the heart of the forest.  Rey only asked once where they were going but finding that Phasma would not answer, she simply followed in a silent thrill.  At last, they came upon a clearing and Rey gasped in astonishment.  Upon the low hills stood a small basin hidden among the trees.  The water came from a reasonably sized waterfall cresting about fifty feet above.  It was lush and green with interspersed areas of both shade and sun.  Phasma took Rey’s hand and led her to the vibrant green grass where she billowed out the blanket and set it down, beckoning Rey to sit down on it.

“Oh my god, this place is beautiful!”  Rey exclaimed.  “How do you even know about this place?”

“I shot a movie here once.  Jumped off the waterfall.”  Phasma replied.  She opened up the basket and began parsing out the contents onto the blanket.  While they ate Phasma asked Rey about her new job.  Rey told her with immense excitement that she would be learning the ropes for the next few weeks and submitting scenes for review before she would have a chance to write an actual episode.  She had also been informed that one of her ideas from her test scripts had made it into the writer’s room.  It was nice to talk with Rey like this again.  She had been distant since the night Rey had asked her not to defer to Ben’s moods for her sake.  Now, they laughed and spoke in an easy candor, eating the fresh fruits and cheeses Phasma had brought under the mid-afternoon sun.

After a while, Phasma surreptitiously slid the brown notebook from the basket and into view.  On it was written in bold letters: Phasma’s Journal.

“What’s that?”  Rey asked, pointing to it with little glances.

“What?  Oh, that?  Just something I write in sometimes.”  Phasma answered nonchalantly.  “You can read it if you want.”  Rey gave Phasma an amused look, snorting out a laugh then reached for it.  She opened to the first page and read it with jubilant glee.

 

_I was approached by the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen tonight.  I got to kiss her.  It was awesome._

 

“Did a fourteen-year-old write this for you?”  Rey replied.

“Is that a shot at my writing style?”  Phasma asked.  “We can’t all be eloquent on paper.”  Rey turned to the next page.

 

_Holy shit!  I just had sex with that same girl from the party!  She’s magnifisent!_

 

“This is the sweetest thing ever.”  Rey mused.

“But…”  Phasma sensed.

“You spelled magnificent wrong.”

“I was in a hurry.  I didn’t have much time for correcting errors.”

“You mean this was written just today?  I’m so shocked!”  Rey teased.  She kept reading.

 

_Her name is Rey.  She has beautiful brown hair and brown eyes.  I like her breasts._

 

Rey threw back her head and laughed into the sky.  She laughed so hard it turned into a coughing fit.

“Oh my god!”  She wailed.  “You’re a poet.”

“Don’t I know it.”  Phasma smiled.  “Keep reading.”

 

_Rey taught me how to spar with a farming staff.  She’s quite good at it.  She knocked me down onto the grass and straddled me as she pinned me to the ground.  All I could think about was how amazing she is and how badly I wanted to kiss her._

 

“Did you notice I almost kissed you that day?”  Rey asked Phasma.

“I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or not.”

 

_Rey has a porn folder with my name on it.  I’ve never been more flattered in my life.  I hope she lets me read it one day._

 

Rey muffled another laugh but kept reading out of the same page.

 

_She let me read one of her scripts.  It was nothing short of perfection.  It’s amazing how much talent she possesses but I know deep down that it’s all her hard work that has escalated her into this gifted writer.  I’m in awe of her dedication and passion to a field that she has already mastered.  I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that someone as brilliant as Rey would be interested in me in any way.  She’s gorgeous inside and out._

_I can’t deny it any longer.  I’m in love with Rey.  It feels like the beginning of life._

 

Rey stared in stupefaction at the page, her eyes reading it over and over again.  Phasma reached over and turned to the next one for her.

 

_Rey finally got her dream job!  There is no one more deserving on this planet than her._

 

“I ran out of time after that.”  Phasma remarked.  Rey nodded her head and fingered the page delicately.

“You ended it strong.”  She answered, letting her hair fall down around her face and hidden from view.  Phasma shifted closer to her and put her chin on Rey’s shoulder.  Rey sat silently, reading the notebook again while focused on the page that most enticed her.  Phasma slowly leaned in and gently placed her lips along Rey’s neck.  Immediately Rey closed her eyes and a delicate moan escaped her throat.  It was certainly a welcoming gesture leading Phasma to press more kisses along her neck and under her jaw.  She felt Rey’s hesitancy though.

“It’s hot out here.”  Phasma said quietly, jarring Rey out of her stupor.

“What?”

“Let’s get into the water.”

“I don’t have a swimsuit.”

“You were born with one.”  Phasma answered as she got up and pulled her shirt over her head.  Rey glanced in surprise as Phasma began to undress.  She hesitantly stood up and removed her own clothing.  Phasma could feel Rey’s eyes on her as she pranced naked to the water, diving into the blue as soon as she reached the edge.

“Come on!”  Phasma urged Rey.  “I won’t look if that’s what you’re worried about.”  Phasma turned her back on Rey until she heard a tiny splash of water behind her.

“This water isn’t as cold as it looks.”  Rey said in reflection.

“It’s mostly fresh water.”  Phasma answered as she swam over to Rey.  “Everything from the waterfall gets heated by the sun on its way here.”  They swam around the basin, racing each other around the length of it, swimming under the falls and jumping in from one of the ledges.  Rey had at first seemed tentative about being completely nude around Phasma but relaxed into it after half an hour.  She floated near the edge of the basin, looking into the clear waters.

“I wonder how deep this is.”  She said.

“A little less than six feet.”  Phasma responded.

“How do you know?”

“Do you see me treading water?”  She laughed.  Rey pretended to be offended as she splashed water in her direction.  “Do you need to be rescued?”

“No, but my arms are getting tired.”  Rey replied as she swam to Phasma and grabbed onto her.  She wrapped her legs around Phasma’s waist and her arms around her broad shoulders so that she wasn’t completely submerged anymore.  “There.  Much better.”

Phasma put her hands at Rey’s ass, holding her up above the water.  She wondered how red the blush radiating through her face made her look.  With Rey bare and pressed against her, Phasma couldn’t possibly control the heaving of her air-deprived lungs.  A lightness grew in her head, forcing out all matter of thought.  She had brought Rey here for this very moment, to seduce her in the most romantic setting she could think of and now that it was proceeding well she found she could not wrest herself out of inaction.  All she could do was stare into her face, tanned skin and brown hair highlighted by sun, and wish that she would remember this for the rest of her life.

Rey seemed to be thinking something similar.  Her eyes never wavered from Phasma’s face, glancing at her features with hooded eyes and soft, gaping mouth.  Phasma was vaguely aware of Rey tilting her head closer until their lips met in a very gentle brush, uncommitted and testing.  Phasma uttered a soft gasp at the touch, closing her eyes and sliding her lips along Rey’s in agonizing slowness, studying the delicacy of her mouth.  For a while there was only the touch of their lips though hands began to glide smoothly along skin.  Rey’s fingers slid through the short hair lapping at Phasma’s neck, sending goosebumps radiating along her flesh.

At long last it was Rey who could not hold out any longer, capturing Phasma’s mouth in hers in a deep, needful sigh.  Phasma felt a sudden swell of her heart expand her chest, limiting the air her body could possibly inspire.  She responded immediately, neck arched up as Rey breathed her in, voraciously taking from her everything she was willing to give.

This was certainly not the first kiss between them but to Phasma, it might as well have been.  It had been nine months since the kiss at the party and since then there had been many nights of clandestine kisses and lapses of willpower but it was nothing like this moment.  This was not like kissing a stranger on a staircase surrounded by ignorant party goers, it wasn’t like making the most of a second encounter and it was not like the quick, surreptitious grazes in a hallway, always with some part of the subconscious listening for approaching footsteps.  This was a full, selfish embrace, locked in a heat seeking craving, free of guilt.  It was a magic in the middle of a small lake, surrounded by the warm rays of sunshine and the ambient sounds of calling birds and falling water.  This was Phasma and Rey, blissfully unaware of everything but the thrills found in each other.

Phasma could hardly breathe.  With heart working hard of labor and lust, pounding in the cavity of her chest, her blood raced through her veins causing a tingling awareness throughout her body.  She felt both the heaviness of her blood and the lightness of her head.  The contrasting sensations were surprisingly fulfilling.  She drifted her hands along the skin of Rey’s back, pressing her fingers through her hair and drawing the brunette deeper.  Phasma felt the slip of tongue glaze wonderfully into her mouth in response.

There were gasping breaths and searching tongues before there were teeth skimming on the flesh of necks and fingers flittering towards more sensitive skin.  Rey arched at the touch of digits lightly grazing her labia as Phasma rolled her glutes in her hands.  Her breasts came out of the water enough for Phasma to run her tongue across a nipple.  Rey emitted a guttural moan as her fingers intertwined tightly in Phasma’s gold hair.

Wading through the water, Phasma carried Rey towards the bank and set her down on the grass, then she climbed out of the water and backed Rey towards the blanket all the while connected by mouth and exploring hands.

The blanket was directly in sunlight, warm and pleasant as Rey was eased onto her back.  Her arms instantly wrapped around Phasma when she came close, bringing her on top of her as they melded back into the embrace from before.  Phasma felt Rey’s thigh slide upward against the heat of her sex and her body compelled her to buck into it.  Her own leg was knelt near Rey’s mound and she nudged it forward, feeling Rey involuntarily tighten nearer.  Intensely drawn together, they began to mildly sway rhythmically.  One of Phasma’s hands cupped Rey’s breast, the other gripped under her ass to hold her into the cadence.  It seemed to take every once of self-control Rey had to push Phasma enough away for their bodies to still.  She looked her apologetically in the eye.

“If this is just a one time thing…”  Rey began, her tone indicating she was incredibly conflicted between desire and principles.

“It’s not.”  Phasma instantly replied through low breaths.  That was all the answer Rey needed.  She pulled Phasma back to her, taking her mouth in urgency.

Under the midday sun, Phasma gave Rey everything she wanted.  This was her day, Phasma told her while she kissed the nape of her neck and discovered areas where Rey was most sensitive.  Phasma learned that sucking and light biting on her breasts caused Rey to hiss in longing, how licking circles around her clit caused her to grab tightly at her hair, how two curved fingers caused her to clench in pleasure, how a full drag of tongue into her pussy made her squirm and choke back grunted moans.  By the time Phasma had seen to her last orgasm, Rey was sprawled out on the blanket under the early evening sun as shadows danced across her body from the rustling trees.

She was still laid out, though face down into her arm, after Phasma had dressed and packed everything up except the blanket.

“We have to go before the sun goes down.”  Phasma said quietly near Rey’s ear.  Her hand found it’s way to Rey’s ass, cupping it softly and giving it a gentle squeeze.  She was warm and pliable and Phasma loved the feel of her flesh between her fingers.

“I don’t think I can move.”  Rey muffled into her elbow.

“I can carry you if you like.”  Phasma chuckled.  Rey slowly pushed herself up onto her knees and found her clothes placed neatly beside her.  She dressed unhurriedly.  Trailing Phasma in a dizzy walk, her brain did not seem to want to think for itself.

Phasma guided her back along the trail.  The sun was past the horizon by the time they made it back to the speeder bike.  Phasma made sure Rey was more alert before putting her jacket and helmet on her and then helping her onto the motorcycle.  With Rey firmly wrapped around her midsection, Phasma revved the engine and took to the dirt path.  By the time they made it back to the main road, it was completely dark.  The engine cut through the silent air as they meandered the winding path back into Coruscant.


	13. Cabin Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone goes to the lake. Ben ruins everything as usual.

They had to return the speeder bike and supplies back to the studio, which meant it was close to eight o’clock by the time they made it home.

“Where were you two?”  Hux asked in mild curiosity.  Rey was still in incredibly high spirits and she inadvertently deflected his question with a kiss to his cheek and excited thank you’s for the wonderful luncheon.  While Rey spoke animatedly with Hux and Poe at the kitchen island, Phasma found a plate of tepid chicken and veggies waiting for her.  

While she ate she thumbed through her phone and noticed she had a few missed calls and a text from Krennic.

 

_Sunset shoot tomorrow.  Come in at three pm._

 

She sent a confirmation text and slipped it back in her pocket.  Digestion sapped her energy and Phasma realized she was bone tired.  She took a shower and got dressed for bed, ready to turn in an early evening.  No sooner than she was ready to turn out the light did she hear a knock at her door.  It came as no surprise to her when Rey walked in also showered and in pajamas.

“Not even going to say goodnight to me?”  Rey asked.  Phasma patted the bed beside her and Rey jumped in with a laugh.

“I knew you’d be here.”  Phasma replied as her body was suddenly swallowed up by sheets and blankets and Rey.  The brunette fell on top of the blonde, kissing her breathless.

“I have never had such conflicting urges.”  Rey suddenly said, moving off of Phasma and making her go dizzy.

“What?”  Phasma asked, more in confusion.

“I obviously would rather be here with you but do you realize how painful it is for a writer not to immediately put on record the greatest day of her life?”  Rey stressed.  “It’s because of you!  You made this day so amazing!”

“I didn’t want to assume.”  Phasma answered, leaning on her elbow.  She honestly had never considered it.

“Well, now you know.”  Rey pointed into her shoulder.  She must have seen something in the way Phasma’s head slightly lulled to the side in exhaustion that caused her to gently prod the blonde face up on the bed.  Phasma slumped down uncontestingly.

“You look ready for sleep.”  Rey said as she straddled her.  “Let me relax you.”  Phasma looked up from her vantage point, her head already softly nestled into her pillow as Rey smiled and put a hand to the blonde’s eyes, forcing her to close them.  Phasma was aware of strong hands rubbing into her shoulders and at her chest above her breasts.  Later on thumbs gently rubbed the tension away from her neck and temples, fingers slipping into her hair and gliding along her scalp.  Phasma had her hands rested on Rey’s hips, as the brunette continued her ministrations.  She wondered when Rey was going to initiate more sensual motions and how much energy she had to comply but as time went on the massage stimulated a deep complacency within Phasma, where her thoughts entirely melted away.  The last thing she remembered before slipping into a heavy slumber was Rey’s lips soft upon her quiescent mouth.

 

Rey was there when Phasma woke up the next morning.  So was Rey’s laptop.  It was resting on the floor near Rey’s side of the bed and Phasma chuckled and kissed her awake.

“Did you write about your greatest day ever?”  Phasma teased.  She couldn’t stop her hands from drifting along Rey’s backside.

“Did you hear me at all?”  Rey asked though she was barely alert.  She turned her head so that half her face was buried in the blanket and she refused to open her eyes though her butt turned into Phasma’s hand, seeking more touch.

“Not a thing.  Did you take advantage of me?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”  Came Rey’s muffled reply.

“I hear it’s a thing.”

“I’ll gladly take advantage of you at a time you’ll remember it.”

“Will you let me read what you wrote?”

“Hell, no.”  Rey answered sleepily.  Phasma drew her hands off Rey.

“Why not?  Because it’s porn?  You’ve let me read your porn before.”

“Go work out your sexy arms.”  Rey waved her away as she curled back into her warm pillow.

 

Ben was not in the gym that morning.  Phasma finished her routine in an hour and joined Rey for breakfast.  They were both surprised to see Hux come into the kitchen as they conversed.

“Why are you still here?”  Phasma asked him.  “Shouldn’t you be in the office by now?”

“I’ll explain later.”  He said, which Phasma knew to actually mean ‘I hope you forget to ask next time I see you’.  He hurriedly grabbed a granola bar and poured some coffee into his thermos before pulling his keys off the hook by the door and speed walking to his Tesla sitting in the garage.  The two women glanced at each other in surprise until another presence caused them to turn to Ben coming into the kitchen dressed in his blue coveralls.

“Do you know anything about Hux?”  Phasma questioned.  Ben simply shrugged and leaned up against the large island where Rey and Phasma were pulled up on their barstools.  He was nearest Rey, which seemed intentional but he wouldn’t look either one of them in the eye.  There was a moment of silence while Phasma and Rey again glanced at each other.

“So.”  He said through difficulty.  “First day, huh?”

“Yup.”  Rey answered, looking uncomfortably at Ben.  He nodded his head in a way that seemed approving and then lifted off the island to stand awkwardly.

“Good.  I’m proud of you, you know.”  He briefly smiled, making the rarest of eye contact with Rey.  Phasma could see that his words were encouraging to Rey but also a little bittersweet after yesterday’s tantrum.  Still, to hear the words from his mouth, Rey swallowed her elation, pushing it down until she was assured he wouldn’t counteract with more moodiness.

“Ben,”  Rey began.  “I want to believe you mean it.”

“Of course, I do.”  He adamantly replied.  His dark eyes shone truth as he stared into Rey with conviction.  “I’m very proud of you.  You’ve worked really hard for this.”  He then looked to the floor and sighed, glancing back up at her from beneath his eyelashes.  “I’m sorry I was such an asshole yesterday.  I guess I wasn’t comfortable around all those people I’d never met.  That was really not okay for me t-...oof!”  

He was cut off by Rey bounding off her chair and wrapping her arms around him in a giant bear hug, squeezing him hard around his waist.

“Forgiven!”  She exclaimed as she swayed ungracefully with him still clasped in her embrace.  She then looked up at him and put her hands on her hips, giving him a stern glare.  “You’re going to have fun this weekend, right?  I’m not going to have to push you out of the boat, am I?”

No.”  He chuckled.  “You won’t have to push me out of the boat.”

Phasma silently noted the slight scowl Rey made but she didn’t push him.  Later while Phasma kissed her goodbye did she ask her what had upset her.

“He didn’t agree to have fun.”  She replied.

 

Phasma received a phone call from Brendol around four that afternoon.

“Do you know where Armitage is?”  He asked.

“I wouldn’t know that.”  Phasma replied with one hand holding her phone to her ear and the other twirling a blaster pistol around her chrome clad fingers.  “Why?  Did you two have another fight?”

“He’s been gone for two hours.”

“I’ll give him a call.”

“Don’t tell him I’m looking for him!”  Brendol barely had time to utter the last word before Phasma hung up on him.  She dialed Hux’s number.  It rang until it went to voicemail.  She immediately called again.  He answered on the second ring.

“This is an odd time for you to be calling me.”  He said, clearly trying to maintain some sense of composure.

“Brendol is looking for you.”

“He noticed I was gone?”  There was a rustling on the other end of the phone and Phasma was surprised to hear someone else whisper loud enough for her to just make out what was said.  Strangely enough, it was her name that had been whispered.   _What does Phasma want?_

“Are you with someone?”  She asked.

“Eh, I’m on a walk.  Met up with some…friends.”  He said.  She knew he immediately regretted saying it because she knew all his friends.  He certainly didn’t have any from work.

“Oh?  Who are you with?”  

There was a pause before he answered.

“Homeless people.  You wouldn’t know them.  I’m at a park.”

“The fuck you are!”  She remarked defiantly.  “You’re getting laid!”

There was another long beat until he sputtered some nonsense.

“You-…I-I-I…This isn’t-…”

“Hux, your dad thinks you’re on drugs.”  She dropped.  Hux gasped over the phone and she could picture it in her mind because she had seen it on many occasions over the span of their lives.

“Why the hell would he think I’m on drugs?”  He spat in astonishment.

“Because after a fight you leave for hours and then come back all calm and un-Hux like.  What else was he to think?  His mind certainly never went to boy toy.”

“I don’t have a boy toy.”  He audibly rolled his eyes.

“Hurry up with your banging.  I’m going to call Brendol and tell him you’re on your way back to work.”

“What are you going to tell him?”

“What you told me.”  She hung up on him before he could question what it was he had told her.  She called Brendol back.  He picked up on the first ring.

“I found Armitage.”  She said.

“What’s he doing?”

“He’s in the park.”

“The park?”

“On a walk.”

“A walk?  What’s h-…”

“Helping out some homeless people.”

“Homeless people!  This doesn’t make any sense.”

“I don’t know.  That’s what he told me.  He’s still not on drugs though.”

“All right.”  He sounded reluctant but convinced.  “Good work, Captain.”  And then he hung up.  Phasma laughed to herself, wondering how Hux was going to explain that to his father.

 

A series of texts exchanged between the hours of 11:27pm and 12:05am.

 

_Rey: Hey hot stuff.  How’s the shoot going?_

_Phasma: Long.  Going to be out here a while._

_Rey: Will you come say goodnight to me when you come home?_

_Phasma: Definitely._

_Rey: Good.  If I’m asleep, just wake me up._

_Phasma: I tried doing that this morning.  Didn’t work._

_Rey: I’m not a morning person._

_Phasma: But you’re a middle of the night person?_

_Rey: Don’t question it.  Come home.  Take off your clothes.  Get into my bed._

_Phasma: As you wish ;)_

 

At 3:22 am, Phasma slipped quietly through the sleeping house.  She didn’t even bother entering her own room, rather entering Rey’s after noting the light was out and hearing the peaceful heavy breaths of a person drawn deep into slumber.  Phasma did as she was told, removing every stitch of clothing and sliding under the sheets.  She glided next to a warm body as naked as she was.

Rey was on her stomach, face half in her pillow.  Phasma slid her hand along Rey’s back but the brunette didn’t stir.  She chuckled and brought Rey closer to her so that she could spoon the smaller woman.  The only answer Rey gave was more light snoring.  

It seemed Rey wasn’t a middle-of-the-night person either.

 

Phasma woke up to soft kisses repeatedly pressed gently to her mouth.  She blinked once and noted brown eyes staring back at her from above.

“Good morning.”  Rey whispered.  She smelled like mint.

“Good morning.”  Phasma mumbled, self conscious of her not freshly-brushed teeth.  Rey noticed.

“Don’t be shy.”  She giggled as she dipped closer for more.  Phasma turned her head away with a tight-lipped smile.  Rey laughed and shook her head at her.  She tried pressing her lips against Phasma’s but the blonde pulled her hands up and covered her mouth.

“Let me go brush my teeth first.”  Phasma replied quickly.

“No, you’re keeping the bed warm.”  Rey whined.  “If you leave, I’ll get cold.”

“I’ll be right back.”  Phasma answered.  She was about to swing her legs over the side of the bed but then felt Rey’s entire body pressed on top of hers, shoving her further into the mattress.  

“You’d have to get dressed since you’re not going to walk naked through the hall.  Just give in to me, Phas.”  Rey replied boisterously.  She tried to wrestle Phasma’s hands away from her mouth and attack her with more kisses, causing the blonde to laugh.

“Shh, Rey!”  Phasma shushed as their voices grew louder.

“You shush!”  Rey playfully admonished.  Since she couldn’t seem to plant kisses on her mouth, Rey put them anywhere she could.  Phasma’s forehead, temples, cheeks, chin…  When Phasma turned her head away again, Rey placed her lips at the junction of her neck making the friskiness instantly subside, replaced with a warmth that spread through Phasma like hot chocolate on a cold day.  Rey slowed, sensing the change and intensified the caresses of her lips.  It wasn’t long before Phasma closed her eyes at the touch of a long draw of Rey’s tongue along her clavicle.  With a whispered moan, Phasma did as she was told and gave in.

The brunette took her time.  She kissed wetly down Phasma’s breasts, making a study of her nipples with her lips and finding ways to drawl out more sighs from Phasma.  The blonde drew her fingers through Rey’s hair as she traced simple flicks of her tongue in the valleys of Phasma’s tight abdomen before shifting between her thighs and lightly biting along the flesh.  Phasma could feel the heat of Rey’s breath at her core and the impatience of what was to come had already stirred her into torment and overstimulation.  The barest touch of tongue to her clit had her gasping in shock.

A hard knock on the door made them both jump in alarm.

“Wake up, sleepy head!”  Ben shouted from the other side.  “You missed breakfast!”

It took Rey a full three seconds to return a shaky reply.

“Okay!”  She yelled.  “Be out in a second!”  She glanced at Phasma under her and they both stared at each other in stone silence, waiting for Ben to say something else.  They heard another knock, this time on Phasma’s door down the hall.

“Hey, Phas!”  Ben shouted.  He sounded muffled now that he was further away.

“Shit…”  Phasma muttered.  Silently, she climbed out of bed and stealthily began gathering her clothes folded neatly on the chair.  She had her underwear on when Ben knocked on Rey’s door again.  Rey had already thrown on a pair of pajamas and she went to the door after waving Phasma into her closet.

From amidst Rey’s clothes, Phasma listened to her open the door.

“I’m up now.”  Rey told him with the ease of one who had nothing to hide.  “Don’t worry.  I won’t be late for work.”

“Have you seen Phasma?”

“I just woke up.  How could I have seen her?”  Damn.  Rey was a lot craftier than Phasma realized.

“She’s not in her room.”

“Did you check to see if her car is here?  Maybe she’s not back from her shoot yet…”

Phasma heard the door click behind them as Rey went ‘looking’ for Phasma with Ben.  Phasma quietly crept out of the closet and put her ear to the door.  She could hear Rey talking unusually loud, signaling to Phasma where she and Ben were in the house.  Down the hall and headed to the kitchen.

Phasma quickly slipped out of Rey’s room, bypassed her own room and into the bathroom.  She took a shower and brushed her teeth, emerging from the bathroom in a towel just as Rey and Ben were coming back through the hall.

“There you are!”  Rey exclaimed and then turned to Ben.  “I told you she was in the bathroom.”

“I could have sworn it was open…”  He scratched his scruffy chin as he looked skeptically towards the now empty bathroom.

“Hey, can you give me a ride to work?”  Rey asked Phasma.  She was clearly trying to steer the conversation to a different subject.

“Technically I’ve already been to work today so I’ve got the rest of the day off.”  Phasma said.  “But you can borrow my car if you want.”

“Nah, I’ll just take the bus.  You gotta load it up with the camping gear anyway.  Thanks though.”  Rey responded.

“Okay then.”  Phasma shrugged.  “See you guys later.  I’m going back to bed.”  And she went to her room and closed the door behind her hoping Ben wouldn’t question how she gave him the slip.  She heard him stalk down the hall with Rey.

“How did I not notice her in the bathroom…?”  She heard his voice disappear.

 

At four in the afternoon, two cars were packed to the hilt with food, supplies and people as they caravan towards the Hux cabin out on Lake Paonga.  The first car was a stately Cadillac Escalade driven by Hux with Ben sitting passenger and Mitaka and Unamo in the back.  The car was actually his mother’s but considering she never really drove it anywhere, he had borrowed it from her for the weekend.  The second car was Phasma’s 4Runner carrying Rey in the passenger and Poe and Amilyn Holdo in the back.

“Anyone want to sing a song with me?”  Poe asked with his ridiculously charismatic smile.  “I was thinking A Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall.”

“Count me out.”  Holdo replied.  “But I would like to talk about Outland Base.”  She hinted.

“We’re contractually bound to secrecy.”  Rey answered with a laugh.

“Damn…”  Holdo shucked.

 

It would take two hours to get to the cabin.  Ben and Rey held the walkie-talkies and intermittently spoke on them during the trip.

“Breaker, breaker, one, nine.  Come in Kylo Ren…”  Rey said into the unit.  There was a static charge until a voice cut in.

“Hear you loud and clear, Rey.  And don’t call me that.  Over.”  Ben returned.

“Phasma says we need to stop for gas.  And I thought that was what you wanted to be called.  Over.”

“When I was fourteen, Rey!”  Ben shouted back.  “We’ll pull over at the next station.  Over.”

“Kylo Ren?”  Phasma burst out.  “What the hell is that about?”

“He thought it was so cool.  It was during his emo phase.”  Rey replied.  It was possible Ben’s ears were burning because he suddenly cut in through the walkie-talkie again.

“Oh, and don’t talk about me, Rebel Scavenger.”

“Dammit…”  Rey muttered as she glanced over at Phasma.

“Over.”  Ben suddenly remembered.

“Rebel scavenger?!”  Phasma laughed.

“What does that mean?”  Poe questioned enthusiastically.

“Let’s just say that I was also once fourteen.”

 

It was six-thirty by the time the cars pulled up to the cabin.  The five others who had never seen it stared in wide-eyed shock at the size of it.

“This is your cabin?”  Mitaka exclaimed.  “Was it built for Paul Bunyan?”

“And by Paul Bunyan.”  Hux snarked.

The crew wasted no time in pulling everything out of the cars and into the stately cabin.  They quickly whipped up some dinner and all decided to gather around in the living room and practice some of Phasma’s acting exercises.  It turned into a raucous night where everyone at one point was laughing so hard there were tears spotting the floor.

“Oh my god!”  Poe exclaimed as he pointed at Mitaka.  “Your face!  You should have seen it!”

“I didn’t know she was going to slap my ass.”  He glanced half amused, half irritatingly at Phasma while he rubbed his behind.

“You gotta roll with the punches.”  Phasma snickered with loud rolling snaps of her fingers.  “That’s what these exercises are for.”

“I’m not an actor.”

“And I’m not an actress but here we are.  C’mon, wife!  Get with the program!”

“How come I had to be the wife again?”

“Why would I be the wife?”  Phasma questioned, giving him an eyeroll.  “You’re the pretty one.”  She reached out and pinched a pink cheek.

“Someone else be Phasma’s wife.”  Mitaka huffed as he want back to his seat hardly upset.

“My turn!”  Holdo cried out as she quickly pulled herself out of Poe’s arms and scrambled to the middle of the room where Phasma stood.

“Ah, yes, Amilyn!”  Phasma encouraged with a friendly laugh.  “Scenario, please, my dear Hux.”

“Okay,”  Hux looked down to the booklet in his hand.  “You guys are on a walk and one of you is enjoying it much more than the other.”

“Which one of us is enjoying it?”

“Doesn’t say.  You’re supposed to roll with the punches.  You just told Mitaka that.”

“Right then.”  

Phasma and Holdo linked arms as they pretended to be out on a stroll.

“It’s such a lovely day out here, don’t you think?”  Holdo said cheerfully as she pretended to gaze happily at the pretend scenery.

“It’s a little cloudy.”  Phasma responded with a slight grump.

“It reminds me of when we went to Hosnian Prime.”  Holdo gave Phasma a wag of her eyebrows.

“We went to Hosnian Prime?”

“Yes, silly!  For our second honeymoon!”

“Was it as cloudy as this?”

“There’s barely a cloud in the sky.”  Holdo laughed with a dismissive wave.

“I think it’s going to rain.”

“You always think that.  Just look at this lake!”  Holdo waved her hands out like she was surveying a giant body of water.  “It’s so serene!”

“Reminds me of the ones on Dagobah.”

“Dagobah is a swamp.  This reminds you of a swamp?”

“These mosquitoes sure do…”  Phasma answered while she swatted at the empty air.

“That’s nonsense.  There are hardly any mosquitoes out here.”  Holdo responded.  She startled when Phasma slapped lightly at her arm.

“I just saved you.”  Phasma replied nonchalantly.

“Saved me?  From a bug?”

Holdo startled again when Phasma lightly slapped her palm on her other shoulder.

“Saved you again.”  

Phasma looked at her palm for the imaginary evidence of the death of the imaginary mosquito.  She was unable to note the wind up of Holdo’s arm as she wailed it towards Phasma’s ass.  The contact of her palm cracked a resounding slap across the muscle.  Phasma jolted out in shock then froze in place with pure astonishment.

“Got it.”  Holdo announced gaily

Mitaka roared in laughter and fell off the couch while tears streamed down his face.

“Roll with the punches, Phasma!”  He could barely shout out between guffaws.  

Holdo shook her hand in the air with a slight scowl.

“Damn, it’s like spanking a sphere of lead.”

Phasma finally blinked out of her stupor, unable to hide her rising smile.

“I think I’m remembering something about our second honeymoon on Hosnian Prime.”  She said as she neared Holdo.  Holdo barely had time to register Phasma’s arms around her as the taller blonde dipped her and pretended to snog her senseless.  She then stood Holdo upright and released her.

“You’re right!”  Phasma remarked.  “It _is_  a lovely day out here!”

“Meh.”  Holdo replied.  “I’d rather we were in bed.”

“And scene!”  Poe exclaimed teasingly.  “Any longer and I’m going to get jealous.”

Phasma and Holdo held hands and took a bow while everyone gave them a hearty round of applause.

Phasma glanced over at Rey who was clapping but a slight frown edged at her mouth.

 

It was midnight and Ben, Hux, Rey and Phasma still didn’t know which rooms they were staying in.

“Shouldn’t we have figured this out earlier?”  Ben asked with a yawn.

“I thought we had decided me and Phasma.  You and Rey.”  Hux replied.  Rey and Ben glanced at each other in revulsion.

“I love you but it would be like sharing a bed with my brother.”  Rey remarked.

“How about you and Hux and me and Phasma.”  Ben said.  Rey and Hux gave each other the repeated glance of revulsion.

“I don’t think so.”  Hux simply said.  “So, you won’t bunk with either me or Ben, that leaves only Phasma.  You two okay with that?”  He pointed to the girls.

“Sure.”  They answered simultaneously.  They pointedly did not glance at each other or look for the excitement filling their eyes.

“Hold on, that means you and I are sharing a bed?”  Ben exclaimed.

“Yeah, of course.”  Hux shrugged.  “We have before.  Why are you complaining about it now?”

“You two have shared a bed before?”  Rey asked in incredulity.  “When?”

“Oh, uh, I don’t remember.”  Hux mumbled as he trailed off.

“What?”

“Boy, is it late!”  Hux suddenly said loudly with a clap of his hands.  “I need my sleep right now or I’ll end up drowning in the lake tomorrow.”

 

“That seemed a little too easy.”  Phasma said as she and Rey entered their bedroom.  “Didn’t that seem easy?  I would have thought Hux would have put up more of a fight.  And what was with all his stuttering about the last time they shared a bed?  It was only because Hux’s ex was being a total dick and Ben pretended to be his boyfriend.  I guess that does sound crazy when said out loud…”

“So, uh, was there something going on with you and Holdo tonight?”  Phasma heard Rey behind her.  She turned and saw Rey standing with hands on hips, head cocked inquisitively.

“What?”  Phasma stared in bewilderment.

“You and Holdo.  I couldn’t help but notice you kissed her.”  Rey said though the last word inflected upward making it sound more like a question.

“I pretended to kiss her.  It was an acting exercise.  I’m not sure why you’re upset about this.”

“I’m not.”  Rey answered with shoulders slumping.  She came over and sat heavily on the bed.  “It’s just if it had been me up there you would not have played the scene out the same way.  You wouldn’t let any hint of our relationship occur in front of Ben.”

“That’s probably true.”  Phasma agreed.  “But you know why.  He’s been in and out of his depression.  I don’t want to trigger anything.”

“That might be what he needs…”

“No, Rey.  First of all, we’re very new and let’s not jinx it by telling everyone of our relationship status just yet.  And second, Ben’s trying to get better.  I know he acts like a selfish ass sometimes but he apologized this morning about it and there are moments I see the real Ben peeking out.  We’ll encourage him to get some therapy.  He’ll get better and then we can be more open about us, all right?”

“I think you have a delusional sense of positive thinking.”  Rey replied but nodded anyhow.

“Good.  We could use some.”

“Delusions?”

“Positive thinking.”  Phasma said as she reached to Rey and folded her up in her arms while laying the brunette down on the bed.  “But right now I finally found myself alone with a hot, sexy woman and I’d like to spend some time with her.”

“I have so many favors I want to return.”  Rey answered excitedly before drawing Phasma into a kiss.

With the door locked and the lights out and Hux and Ben occupying a room on the other side of the cabin, Rey insisted on discovering Phasma’s body in her own greedy way.  Phasma deeply enjoyed the insatiable curiosity the brunette displayed over the hours however her one complaint, and it was a torment at minimum, was that with so many people in the cabin there was no opportunity to really voice the pleasing aspects Rey could fulfill with quivering satisfaction inside her.  By morning her speaking voice was raw and uncontrolled, having been pent up for too long.

 

 

The next day was a perfect day.  After breakfast they all gathered in Hux’s speedboat and they went out on the lake.  Hux, while not as athletic as his two best friends, was surprisingly good on a wakeboard, especially after the summers he, Ben and Phasma would spend out on the lake.  Phasma, as athletic as she is, was naturally good but Ben was the real star of the show.  Phasma had more grace but Ben could jump his board high off the wake and roll in the air, coming down on his back heel.  He looked like he could be an X-Games contender.

“Wow, Ben!”  Rey gushed as he climbed back in the boat.  “You’re really great out there!”

“Thanks!”

Rey raised her phone so that the camera was directed at him.

“Now, go do it again so I can show Aunt Leia.”

 

It was clear by the end of the day that Ben was able to climb out of his funk for a moment.  They all sat around the campfire while Hux, Ben and Phasma retold the night Ben had singed his ass three years ago after failing to clear the flames of the bonfire.

“...And then he bolted up out of the fire…”  Hux was laughing uncontrollably.

“...And he started rolling in the sand.  His pants were all aglow.”  Phasma could barely get her words out, she was laughing so hard.

“I finally just hightailed it to the water.”

“I had never seen anyone run so fast in my life!”  Hux went on.

“Remember you lost your pants in the water?  They had basically burnt off.”

“Oh my god, that hurt so bad!  And none of you guys believed me.  I kept saying, bring me some pants!’ until you finally came to see why I wasn’t getting out of the water.”  Ben said, pointing to Phasma.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.  I didn’t know I was going to have to escort your naked ass back to the cabin and inspect it for scorch marks.”

“Please, you weren’t the one that had to look under his nuts!”  Hux exclaimed.  “Why you would make me do that is a mystery.”

“I needed to make sure!”  Ben exclaimed with a grit to his tone.  “I don’t want burns there, Hux.  That’s the last place anyone could want burns.  Besides, I had to get you back for the time you made me pull up your pants.”

There was a shocked silence among the rest as they tried to interpret what that meant, except for Phasma who threw her head back in laughter, apparently remembering that moment.  Hux colored red.

“I’d forgotten about that.”  He reflected.

“I have to know that story.”  Unamo replied.

“It was when Hux threw out his back riding his speeder bike around Endor.”  Ben said, clearly waiting for someone to ask that very question.  “He couldn’t bend over to pull his pants back up after he dropped a serious deuce in the hote-…”

“Okay, that’s enough.”  Hux nearly ordered, shooting Ben a look that suggested too much had been said.  “Needless to say, we’re even.”

“Are we though?”  Ben asked with a teasing look.

“Yes.  Why wouldn’t we be?”  Hux arched a brow.

Ben merely shrugged but there was a hint of a smile along his mouth.

 

“I just figured it out.”  Phasma declared when she and Rey were alone in their room.

“What?”  Rey asked though she hardly seemed interested.  She was already on the bed, pulling Phasma’s arm so that the blonde stumbled onto it while invested in her thoughts.  As soon as Phasma was lying down, Rey straddled her.

“The sneaking around during work hours.  Hux rushing to work late.  I heard someone say my name when I called him while he was getting laid.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Rey’s fingers went to the fly of Phasma’s pants.

“Hux.  And Ben.”

“What about them?”

“I think they’re…together.”

Rey stopped everything and stared into Phasma with a hard furrowed look.

“What?”

Phasma relayed to Rey that Hux had been acting strangely at work the past month.  Someone who clearly knew her was with him when she called around looking for him.  It was too easy to get Hux and Ben to agree on sharing a room.

“That would certainly explain why they didn’t want me coming with them after Ben punched a hole in the wall.”  Rey surmised.

“And it would explain why Hux is avoiding being alone with me because he’s afraid I’ll bring up the fact he’s been sneaking around.”

“But why sneak around?”  Rey inquired.  “What would it matter to us?”

“Maybe they think we won’t approve?  My best guess is they’re just hooking up and don’t want anything else involved in it including others knowing about it.”

“I knew Ben was a little bit gay but I didn’t think he would go for Hux.”  Rey answered thoughtfully.  “The only time I know of him being in a same-sex relationship was when he was a senior in high school and the guy he was dating was more effeminate than I am.  I don’t know.  This doesn’t sound like Ben.”

“Which is even more reason for them not to tell anyone about it.  Maybe Ben doesn’t want people knowing.”

“He is a very private person…”  Rey contemplated.

“Besides, it’s not like they know about us.”  Phasma replied, drawing Rey down on top of her.

“I think we should tell Ben.  I don’t like keeping secrets like this from him.”

“Can we give it some time?  In a week you might think I’m a boring, blonde bimbo.”  Phasma said.  Her lips met the skin of Rey’s neck and the brunette closed her eyes upon the sensation.

“You are gloriously blonde.  Can’t say I agree much about your other descriptors.”

 

It was another perfect day on the lake.  Phasma closely watched Ben and Hux anytime they interacted together and when Ben playfully slapped Hux on the butt, Phasma glanced over at Rey, nudging her in the ribs with a ‘see?’ kind of look.

“Ben is back to being Ben.”  Phasma whispered to her.  Rey seemed hardly persuaded.

Later that night they all piled in the living room to play a board game.  With so many people and no one wanting to fight, Adult Loaded Questions won out over Werewolf.  Mitaka and Unamo had brought enough alcohol that the night was transitioning from happily dizzy into dangerously honest territory.

“All right, my turn.”  Poe said half-way through the game as he drew the next question.  “Who in your past would you most like to sleep with again?”  Everyone but Poe wrote down an answer.  The person to his right, which was Holdo, read them out.

“Chelli, Luke, nobody, John, Sandor, Kate, Phasma.”

At the mention of her name, everyone looked to Phasma in surprise.  No one was more surprised than Phasma.

“Phasma,”  Poe smiled.  “Who chose you?  Or did you put yourself down?”

“Like I would do that.”  She joked but she glanced over at Rey in mild confusion only to see the brunette glance back at her with the same expression and a subtle shake of her head indicating she had not written it down either.  Phasma glanced over to Hux but he simply looked at her with the same arch of his brow.

“I don’t even know half these names so I’ll go with the obvious.”  Poe replied then pointed to Holdo.  “You said Luke.”

“Of course.”  She admitted, putting her answer to the side.

“I’ll guess Mitaka said Chelli, Unamo said nobody, Hux said Sandor, Phasma said John, Ben said Kate…Wait, that means Rey said Phasma.  That can’t be right.”

Phasma was feeling the burn of her cheeks at the thought of her secret so close to the surface.  At least she and Rey weren’t so obvious that Poe actually considered it but one look at Rey and she could see that she was not nearly so anxious about it.

“I’m starting over again.”  Poe announced.  “Let’s go with Hux said Phasma, Mitaka said Chelli, Unamo said nobody, Rey said Sandor, Phasma said John and Ben said Kate.”

“You got them all wrong.”  Holdo replied.  Poe clenched his fists in the air dismally.  “Mitaka said Kate, Rey said Chelli, Unamo said John, Hux said nobody, Phasma said Sandor and Ben said Phasma.”

“How was I supposed to get those?”

“What the hell, Ben?”  Phasma asked him more in an irritated tone rather than angry.

“What?”  Ben shrugged.  “You don’t snore and your legs are smooth.  Better than sleeping with Hux.  He’s got scratchy leg hair made worse because he spreads out all over the bed.”

“Please,”  Hux replied.  “My leg hair is soft and velvety compared to yours.  Come to think of it, I’d rather sleep with Phasma too.”

“I don’t think you guys are embracing the true nature of the game.”  Mitaka responded.  “Or maybe you are and I just don’t know it.”

“No, you’re reading it right.  I’ve never had sex with either one of them.”  Phasma answered then directed the conversation to Hux.

“And you!  Nobody?  That’s a lie.”

“Like you know me.”  He responded casually.

“Oh, I know you.”  Phasma smirked.  “There is no way you would turn down…”

“Don’t say his name!”

“...Trevor Snoke if he came…”

“I told you not to say his name!”

“...dressed in a garbage bag smelling like cod fish…”

“Goddammit, Phasma!”

“...and balls deep in some harlot.”

Hux huffed steam out of his ears and folded his arms across his chest.

“You’re such a cunt.”

“The only cunt you love.”

“Whose turn is it?”  He practically demanded, steering the discussion back to safety.

“Mine.”  Unamo declared as she picked up the next card.  “What do you find irresistible in a partner?”  Everyone but Unamo wrote down an answer and handed them to Poe.  Poe looked at them and read them out.

“Looks, motivation, beauty, Phasma, charm, intelligence, and exceptional personality.”

Phasma looked over to Ben with a scowl.

“That better have not been you who put my name down.”

“Who would you rather it had been?”  He asked with a teasing tone.  His eyelids drooped and it was clear he was close to inebriated.  She grabbed his tall boy and scooted it away from him.

“Cut this guy off.”  She muttered.

“Alright, I’m going to guess Ben said Phasma…”  Unamo replied.

“Guilty.”  He said, raising his hand with a stupid grin.  Phasma recognized this stage of his drunkenness.  He was going to be in the desolation stage before midnight.

“Poe said beauty, Amilyn said charm, Phasma said motivation, Rey said personality, Hux said intelligence, and Dolph said looks.”

“You got them all right.”

“Exceptional personality?”  Ben questioned Rey.  “That’s kind of pretentious.  What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly how it sounds.  Someone who’s amazing in every way.”  Rey defended with an unintended glance at Phasma.

“I don’t think your perfect person exists.”

“I happen to know for a fact you’re wrong.”

“Such an idealist…”  He dismissed though he was clearly trying to make his tone sound less accusative.

“Let’s go on.”  Hux urged, fighting to maintain the earlier camaraderie.  “It’s your turn, Phasma.”  She picked up a card, groaned and then read it aloud.

“Which fictional character would you like to see naked?”  She finished by giving Ben a threatening glare.  Everybody but Phasma wrote their answer, giving the slips of paper to Unamo.

“Okay, the answers are Captain Phasma, Captain Phasma, Captain Phasma, Captain Phasma, Captain Phasma, Captain Phasma, and that hot chick from Outland Base.”

Phasma glared at everyone around her in astonishment.

“What the hell is going on here?”  She asked quite seriously.  “Was this planned?”

“Nope.”  Hux replied.  “Though I just wrote it down because I knew Ben would.”

“Me too!”  Unamo laughed.

“Not me.”  Holdo said.  “I wrote it down because it’s true.”

“I didn’t put Phasma down at all.”  Mitaka responded.  “My answer is different from everyone else’s.”

“That wasn’t in reference to Phasma?”  Hux asked.

“No, it’s to that hot chick.  What’s her name?  Panda?”

“Padme Amidala.”

“That’s it!  Padme.  Though I wouldn’t mind seeing what Captain Phasma looks like naked either.”

“Well, that’s never going to happen.”  Phasma scoffed.  “Besides, Captain Phasma is a man!  You guys all want to look at balls.”

“Oh, shit, that’s right…”  Holdo replied before happily shrugging it off.  “Still applies.”

“All right, your turn Hux.”  Phasma said, holding out the box of cards to him.  He drew one and read it out loud.

“What type of animal would you consider yourself as in bed?”  Everyone wrote down their answers and gave them to Phasma.

“Okay, the answers are stallion, tiger, flatworm, monkey…oh, come on, Ben!”  She turned and yelled at him.  He merely sat back on the couch chuckling to himself in his drunken stupor.

“What did he write down?”  Rey inquired.  There was a neediness in her tone that Phasma didn’t like.

“Nothing.”  Phasma answered.  She balled up his answer in her fist and threw it at him.  He didn’t even flinch when it hit him on the forehead and bounced away.  His reaction time was completely dwindled due to his alcohol level.

“Just sayin’.”  He slurred.

“Ben’s not playing anymore.”  Phasma declared.  “Also no more beer for you.  You know how you get after too much.”  It was the wrong thing to say.

“How do I get?”  Ben frowned.  Phasma felt her heart jolt out of her chest.   She looked to Hux for help but he was staring at Ben in a blank way that only Phasma knew was actually panic.

“Never mind.”  Phasma replied.

“Let’s just play the game, all right?”  Rey redirected.

“No, how do I get, Phasma?”  Ben began to raise his voice.  He wasn’t angry.  Not really.  But his fragile ego had been struck and there was no way to stop his decline into his darkness.

“I said never mind, Ben.”

“I just want to love you.  That’s all.”  He answered through rising sorrow.  Phasma saw Rey flinch like she was going to say something and thought better of it.

“I think it’s time we pack it up.”  Hux replied, grabbing Ben by the elbow and urging him to get up.  At first Ben was compliant until his sluggish thoughts caught up to the moment and he turned to Phasma with a beaten look.

“Why can’t you love me?”  Ben whined, tears threatening to form.  He was spiraling down fast.  Everyone else made a point to make extravagant motions indicating it was time to go to bed.  Rey got up and grabbed one of Ben’s arms.  Hux had dragged Ben off the couch by this point and was hauling him towards their bedroom.

“C’mon, Ben.  Use your legs.  We can’t carry your ass all the way to the end of the hall.”  He was telling him.

“It’s not like I’m a bad guy.”  Ben replied while he was being dragged, though his attention never wavered from Phasma.  He didn’t seem to notice Hux and Rey pulling him down the hall in a stumble.

“We all know that.”  Hux continued.  Phasma was silent, not wanting to agitate him further.

“Won’t you talk to me, Phasma?”  Ben was far enough down the hall that he had to shout though his voice carried and it was louder than necessary.  Phasma turned her back on him hoping he would stop.

“I know about your secret affair!”  Ben suddenly blurted out as he stared red faced back at Phasma.  Phasma froze, unable to speak, words caught in her throat.  “I know everything!”

“What are you talking about?”  Rey asked him skeptically.

“Why him?”  Ben cried out, this time a tear really did slip down his cheek.  “Why not me?”

“Who?”  Rey kept asking.  But Phasma already knew.

“Jaime.  He’s talking about Jaime.”  She answered hoping Rey wouldn’t inadvertently give theirs away.

“What does that blond, no talent hack have that I don’t?”  Were Ben’s last words until Hux and Rey had dragged him around the corner and out of sight.

The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension until he had disappeared and then it was only marginally better before it got worse again.

“So,”  Holdo began.  “Secret affair?”  Phasma sighed and was glad it hadn’t been Rey who asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the characters replied flatworm as an answer for type of animal in bed. I just wanted to point it out because I was admittedly chuckling to myself as I wrote it out. For those not in the know, flatworms mate by penis fencing.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben makes amends. Captain Phasma's first episode airs.

There was a brief argument that could be heard in Ben and Hux’s bedroom before Rey came storming out followed by Hux who was calm but agitated.  Without a word, Rey went into her bedroom and Phasma followed her in momentarily.

“Are you all right?” Phasma asked as she sat on the bed next to Rey.  The younger woman’s face was red in anger and frustration but it was mostly sadness that marred her features.

“I should be asking you that,” Rey replied.  “You’re the one that was thrust right in the middle of Ben’s tantrum.”

“Can I ask what you’re thinking?”

“Ben is back to being Ben,” She replied, stating Phasma’s words back at her.  “I told him to go get some goddamn therapy before he began puking in the toilet.”

“I suspect he didn’t take it well.”

“I’m not sure he heard me at all.  He makes me so…ugh!” Rey seethed.  She began to deliberately inhale deeply followed by slow exhales.

“I know.  It sucks.  I’m sorry,” Phasma replied, sitting next to her and bringing her arm around her shoulder.  Those were the words she used on Hux when she didn’t know how to console him and she hoped it would work here.  Rey simply lifted her eyes to her and let a smile peek at the corner of her mouth.  Her discomfort didn’t escape Rey.

“I know it shouldn’t bother me so much but I hate how he hits on you in front of me.  But honestly, worst of all is when he gets so despondent and he has to drag everything down with him.  It is really hard seeing him this way.”

“You’d never seen him like this before?”

“Not this drunk but I’ve definitely seen him pull this kind of thing many times.  Tonight he was just upset, not mad like usual.  The last time was when he yelled at Uncle Han for not believing in him.  It was completely irrational especially since he wouldn’t say how Uncle Han was being unsupportive.  Is he often this way in front of you?”

“The last time he was like this I cut him off for nearly six months until he apologized and promised not to let his feelings destroy our friendship.  He swore he was over it.”

“Looks like he’s not.  But then we both knew he wasn’t,” Rey sighed.  “Honestly, I really want him to get better but I think I’m mostly just tired of him cock blocking me.”

Phasma laughed.

“What?  How often does that happen?  And I bet there’s a better term for that.”

“You should know.  It’s been happening for the last nine months.  Ever since I met you.”

“Ah, I thought you meant before that too.”

“No, Ben and I haven’t lived together since he went to college, remember?  And maybe clam jamming?  Is that the right term?”

“I don’t think clam jamming is right.  That’s more like tea bagging.”

“Is it?  Are you sure?”

“Not really.  I’ve heard of clitorference.  I think that’s what you mean.”

“I know I’ve never heard that before,”  Rey assured through laughter.  “Though that’s strangely accurate.”

“It’s not accurate anymore,” Phasma replied as she purposely fell on top of Rey and pulled her under the blankets.

 

 

Either Ben was too humiliated or still out cold to join everyone else for breakfast but he was the only one missing that morning.

“How was he after you left?” Mitaka asked.  Hux simply rolled his eyes and refused to answer.  Phasma noted the pillow and blanket on the couch and quickly surmised that Hux had slept there the whole night.

By noon Ben managed to make an appearance though he held a bag of ice to his head and wore an oversized pair of sunglasses.  He was sheepish and non-conversational all the way until mid afternoon when it was time to pack up and leave.  The same groups took to the same cars and Phasma was glad not to have Ben riding with her.

 

 

Back at the house, Phasma, Rey, Hux and Poe unloaded the cars and put the camping gear in their respective places.  Ben was not helpful.  If Phasma was irked with him before, she was incredibly angry with him now.  Still, while she was fine with confrontation, she was not good with mental health issues and she had no way of relating or understanding what Ben was going through.  She decided to leave it alone.

In the meantime, Phasma felt the fires of her heart kindled by the heated stare Rey would often give her.  As soon as it was safe, they hustled to Phasma’s room because Ben was less likely to knock on her door than Rey’s.

 

 

It wasn’t until the following weekend that Ben made any attempt to apologize.  He had been MIA for a few days though Poe assured them he was at least showing up for work.  Phasma, Rey, Hux and Poe were playing pool on Friday night when Ben walked in with his head hung low.  They all quieted and turned to look at him.

“I’ve been a colossal asshole,”  Ben started.  “And I just want to say I’m sorry for putting everyone in an incredibly embarrassing situation.”

No one said anything for a few long seconds.

“Ben,”  Rey replied.  “We all love you so much, and I, for one, would like to believe that this kind of thing will never happen again, but you’ve apologized on many-…”

“I know what you’re going to say, Rey,”  Ben interrupted.  “And I’ve already made concessions.”  He took a business card out of his back pocket and handed it to her.  She eyed it suspiciously as she took it from him and read it silently.

“I don’t understand,”  Rey said.  “Dr. Galen Erso?  Who is he?”

“He’s my therapist.  I started seeing him yesterday.”

Rey practically stepped back in shock.  It took her a few seconds to jar herself out of it before rushing Ben with a giant hug.

“I know this probably hurts you but I just want you to know that I am so proud of you!” she said into his chest.

“It kind of hurts,”  Ben agreed.  “But it’s okay.  It’s nice too.”  He held onto her and the only time he looked at Phasma was to mouth the word sorry and then sweep his eyes shamefully back to the floor.

It was a start.

 

 

The problem with Ben being so extreme with his moods was that Phasma never knew whether she would be happy to see him or end up seething in anger.  The resentment that was manifesting inside her came from feeling tricked that he was not actually the Ben she had first met, and his inability to reciprocate the awareness of others’ feelings.  

As the weeks went by, despite Ben’s moods becoming slightly more stable, Rey felt that it was still best to tell Ben about their relationship.  Phasma told her to wait a little longer.

 

 

Meanwhile, Captain Phasma and the rest of the Outland Base crew were wrapping up the final scenes of the show.  Rey was present at the table reads though being the junior writer she was relegated to watching from one of the chairs surrounding the room rather than sit at the table.  She chose the one directly across the room from Phasma so she could see her face as she read.  Rey was surprised that Phasma had a modicum of talent when it came for her time to read.  Phasma looked up at Rey after she finished her lines and was pleased when the brunette winked at her in approval.

 

 

Until the start of next season in three months, Phasma was assured she wouldn’t have to put on another Outland Base uniform again.  Rey seized her last opportunity.

“You’re aware that everyone knows I’m back here, right?”  Phasma said as she was wedged into a tight, darkened area between the set pieces.  “This costume doesn’t lend itself to stealth.”

“Shh…if you keep talking so loud then we’re assured everyone will know,” Rey shushed.  “Besides, it’s not like we’re having sex.”

“We’re not?”

“No!  I’m not putting my job on the line even if it is for Captain Phasma,” Rey chastised though she ran her hands along the smooth metal plates.  She had put a stool at Phasma’s feet and was climbing onto it, using Phasma’s shoulders to keep her steady.

“What are we doing then?”

“Some light, covert making out,” Rey chuckled.  She grabbed onto Phasma’s armor and pulled her closer.  The only sounds following were vigorous kisses, soft moans and the faint clanking of chrome.

 

 

Hux gathered as many people as he could for the latest Outland Base viewing on Thursday night.

“Shut up, everybody!  It’s about to start,” he told the thirty plus people in the media room.  A thin, talkative man was sitting on the couch next to Phasma and Hux shooed him away.  “Move your ass, Piett!  That’s my seat.”

Phasma wasn’t usually nervous during viewings but this one felt different.  Even if her face and voice were never seen nor heard, she was much more noticeable than usual and there was some light acting that she was worried would come across wooden.  Her nerves prickled as soon as Captain Phasma appeared on screen.  The room went wild.

The Captain had an incredibly impressive entrance.  A crash of a TIE fighter into the bridge of the base saw the chrome trooper jump out and land on bended knee in front of the crew.  He stalked the heroes of Outland Base as they all fled in terror of the fearsome threat.  With blaster picking off fodder and hard attacks to the infantry, the silver villain single-handedly decimated the base.

“What the hell was that?” the Admiral (played by Chewy Mayhew) cried out.  A silver hand clasped over his mouth as a helmet materialized out of the dark behind him.

“A ghost from the past.”  The voice was synthesized, completely robotic and deep.  The villain slipped a syringe into the admiral’s neck.  “Remember the name Captain Phasma.”

The excited hollering in the room was deafening and Phasma half wished she had a helmet to hide the deep blush on her face.

 

 

_OMG! #Captain Phasma_

_I’d suck the chrome off that trailer hitch #Captain Phasma_

_The fuck kinda name is #Captain Phasma?_

_Looks like I’ll be rooting for the bad guy from now on #Captain Phasma_

_Calling it now. That’s the same guy who ‘died’ in episode 5. #NoOneEverDies #Captain Phasma_

_MARRY ME #Captain Phasma!_

_This guy is TRUTH #Captain Phasma_

_Finally a real baddass! #Captain Phasma_

_Awesome villain #Outland Base #Captain Phasma_

_Worst episode ever #Outland Base_

_More #Captain Phasma!!!!_

 

 

It was fairly evident the next day that the newest character to Outland Base was a huge hit.  Within hours there was suddenly demand for Captain Phasma action figures and collector cards.  The mystery behind the man drew all manner of speculation, some even insisting the chrome trooper was a robot, or an alien, or even a robotic alien.  Regardless, Phasma was astonished.

“He’s only been in one episode,” she said to Hux as he whipped up a salmon dish for dinner.

“Doesn’t matter.  He’s mysterious, impressive and wearing an extraordinary uniform.  That’s really all you need for a character on television.”

“Is that what you tell your producers?”

“Of course.  Oh, and I tell them not to fuck up.  To lose the studio money is to lose your studio job.  That’s my motto.”

 

 

“Do you know Captain Phasma’s backstory?”  Rey questioned her one night as Phasma tried to get some sleep to the tune of Rey’s clacking on her laptop.  Apparently an idea struck and Rey had to get it down before it faded away.  It was this way almost every night in Phasma’s bed.

“Not really.  I was told they’re still working on it in the writer’s room.”

“There is a ton of talk about it in the room,”  Rey confirmed as she closed the computer and sidled up next to Phasma.  “Heads up but I think they’ve got really big plans for you next season.”

“Huh.  Well, as long as I get paid,”  Phasma replied, kissing her good night.

 

 

The biggest itch that couldn’t be scratched was the one where Rey couldn’t tell anyone about Phasma.  Life would be so much freer if she had one person to inform, but as it was, anyone she knew also knew Ben and were likely to frown upon her relationship.  The rest were employees at the lot who had big mouths and gossip might reach the executives in the studio where Hux worked.  It was currently a small price to pay but she knew it could easily fester into a much bigger problem.  She’d cross that bridge when she came to it though.

Currently Rey was seen as a success story and had to fend off other hounds who threw manuscripts at her like she could conjure writing jobs from her back pocket.  She felt a presence now as she stared intently at her phone and the disdain she felt barely filtered through her tone.

“Hey, buddy, can I get some space, huh?” she said casually hoping she wasn’t already coming across as ‘that bitch that thinks she’s better than everyone else.’  At least this person breathing down her neck was dressed nicely.

“Sure, pal,” a silky voice replied.  “I guess I can do that.”

Rey snapped her head up to the stranger with a look of astonishment.  Her jaw didn’t drop until after she did a double take at the suit Phasma was wearing.  The blonde stared amusedly at Rey until she reached over and placed her hand under Rey’s chin and gently clicked it shut.

“I’m working over at the Cantina Pimps lot today,” Phasma answered having sensed Rey’s unasked question.  “What do you think?”

She was wearing a sharp black pinstripe suit with a purple tie complete with matching fedora.  When Rey couldn’t force words out of her mouth Phasma carried on.

“I’m supposed to be one of Jabba Hutt’s hired muscle.  I get thrown over a bar and into the mirror.  We did the staging this morning but we don’t actually film the stunt till this afternoon.”

More echoed silence from Rey whose eyes were drawn to the white pocket square on her chest.  Phasma decided to keep talking.

“Anyway, I have to report to makeup soon but I was hoping you were free for lunch now,”  Phasma smiled.  Rey nodded her head fervently.

“Yes!” she managed to gush out.  She grabbed Phasma by the hand and led her towards the trailers.

“This isn’t the way to the commissary,” Phasma noted.

“I know!”  Rey’s voice sounded desperate.  Phasma was confused when Rey knocked on Padme Amidala’s trailer door, and when there was no answer let herself in, pulling Phasma with her.

“Why are we here?”  Phasma looked all around for a clue.  Suddenly hands were at her belt, ripping at it till the notches were loose.  She didn’t need an answer anymore.

 

 

 

 With each passing week the popularity of the chrome trooper grew stronger.  Phasma had been contracted out to another studio to shoot a movie on location for a month during the show’s hiatus.  While she was out there, Rey called her often to inform her of the status of everyone in the house.

“Ben says he’s feeling more adjusted,” she told Phasma.  “I honestly didn’t think he would improve so quickly but I guess he’s been in therapy for almost three months so why not?  Oh!  And he’s talking to Uncle Han again.  I think that their relationship mending is helping a lot too.”

“What about Hux?  What’s he up to?”

“Are you actually asking if he and Ben are still a thing?  I have never seen evidence of it so I don’t know but Hux disappeared last weekend at the same time Ben went on his radar tech conference thing or whatever it was he said he was at.  I think it’s just coincidence.”

“Where did Hux say he went?”

“To his cousin’s wedding.”

“Which cousin?”

“Uh…Minnie?  Midgie?  Midget?”

“Millicent.”

“That one!”

It was plausible.  Phasma was aware that Hux’s cousin was getting married though she didn’t think Hux would actually go.  Millicent was a self-absorbed, extravagant narcissist that liked to break everyone elses things.  Kind of like a cat.  They hated each other.

“Hmmm…he didn’t tell me he was going.  That’s a little odd.  Though he hasn’t ranted to me about his father in months so he’s clearly been avoiding being alone with me too.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I can see right through him.  He probably thinks I don’t know about him and Ben so he’s keeping me at arm’s length.”

“I really don’t think they’re banging.”

“Hux and Ben share the other side of the house.  They’re probably keeping as low key as we are.”

“Which reminds me…”

“We’ll tell them eventually.  I promise.”

“All right,” Rey sighed skeptically.  Phasma changed the subject.

“How’s Poe?”

“He’s Poe.  Nothing gets him down.  Even Holdo, though I’m not sure how those two are working out.”

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Not that I can tell but Holdo was asking about you.”

“What about?”

“She wanted to know if you were seeing anyone.”

“Right in front of Poe?  That’s a little disrespectful.”

“Nah, I think Poe was egging her on.  It’s possible they’re vetting you for a threesome.”

“You’re-…you’re putting me on.”

“I’m not.  And just so we’re clear, I’d rather you didn’t have a threesome with them.”

“I will _absolutely_ honor that.”

“Thanks.”

“Of course.”

“The season premiere of Outland Base airs in two weeks.  Will you be back by then?”

“Probably.  Last day of shoot is Friday.”

“All, right,” Rey said before turning sappy.  “Do you miss me?”

“I miss you every day,” Phasma replied.  “And every night too.”

“I guess I should let you know that I’ve been wearing your t-shirts while you’ve been gone.”

“Hmm…no.  No, I’m not surprised.”

 

 

The day Phasma came back from her month long stint, Hux was less distant, Ben was less moody, Poe was his charming self and Rey tackled her as soon as they were alone.

 

 

The season premiere of Outland Base had forty people packed in the media room of the house.  As usual, everyone cheered whenever the Captain showed up on the screen and Phasma wanted to hide her face behind her hands.  By the end of the show, the Outland Base commanders managed to get their admiral back from the clutches of the evil chrome trooper but not without heavy casualties taken back on the planet they were supposed to be protecting.  After another intense fight, the last scene showed the back of the majestically caped Captain Phasma on the bridge of his star destroyer, looking out on the land he destroyed with a triumphant fist.

The next day the entertainment news declared Captain Phasma the winner of prime time television.

 

 

The next season would not premiere until two months later but Phasma was back on the lot, suited up and ready to perform her stunts.

“I hope you’ve been practicing all your acting techniques,” Krennic told her.

“The cast of the movie shoot were nice enough to include me in any acting exercises.”

“Good, because you’re going to need it.”  He turned to leave and then swiveled around to face her again with a finger raised in the air. “Oh, and get yourself an agent.”

Phasma questioned Rey about it and the brunette confirmed the idea of an agent.

“Big plans for Captain Phasma,” Rey kept saying.

“Like what?”

“Nothing is written out yet so can’t say.”

“What can you say?”

“Big plans.”

Needless to say, Phasma got herself an agent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, sorry about that. I'm kind of losing momentum. If anyone has any prompts or suggestions for short paragraphs inserted between the main plot, I'm all ears. It should help stimulate more writing.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few mishaps puts Phasma in a highly publicized awkward moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There isn't much interaction with Anakin Skywalker before this chapter but, due to changes in the story, I'm just going to shoehorn here that he and Phasma have a pretty good work relationship. Let's just assume from here on out that Phasma has a good work relationship with everyone on the set.

Phasma could never seem to get Hux alone but one night she happened to find him in the kitchen without another soul around.  He was leaning over the island, eating a sandwich and reading on his phone.

“Whatcha got there?” she asked as she went to the refrigerator, slapping his butt as she passed.  He flinched but hardly acknowledged it happened.

“One of Rey’s scripts,” he answered.

“Oh?” Phasma replied curiously. “Is it good?”

“It’s extraordinary.”

“Which one is it?”

“Which one? Have you read all her scripts?”

Phasma paused wondering if she had just raised his alarm.  She decided she hadn’t.

“No, but I’ve read a few and maybe it’s one that I’ve read.”

“It’s about an orphan girl who lives in an abandoned military tank just after the empire wars.”

“Oh. I don’t know that one.”

“You should ask to read it.”

“I will.”

Hux went back to focusing on his reading while Phasma eyed him speculatively.  He felt her stare and looked up at her in annoyance.

“What?” he asked.

“I heard you went to Millicent’s wedding,” she stated. The only indication he was surprised by her admission was the raise of an eyebrow.

“Yes. I did.”

“You didn’t tell me you were going.”

“I’m sure I did. You’ve been so busy though.”

“Can’t help but notice you’ve been avoiding me,” she smirked. “Don’t think I haven’t forgotten about your homeless people.”

“Can’t help but notice you’ve been keeping secrets yourself,” he replied. She flinched back in surprise. He noticed and glanced up at her with a knowing look. “Someone on the lot perhaps? A coworker? I would think it would be Jaime again except he’s been in Hosnian Prime for a good part of the year.”

“How-…? What makes you think-…?”

“I don’t know if your secret affair is still going on but I saw you climb out between the sets a few months back wearing your captain’s uniform and with your lipstick smeared all over your face.”

“That doesn’t mean tha-…”

“...And your stupid grin,” he added.

“Oh.” It hadn’t been her lipstick, but at least he thought it was. “Well, all that…it wasn’t anything. Don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah, me too,” he replied. Phasma huffed and looked to the ceiling in defeat.

“Fine then.”

“Fine.”

“Good talk.”

“Love you, Phasma!” he called as she walked out of the kitchen.

 

 

For the next two months, Phasma insisted that she and Rey keep their relationship under the radar at the brunette’s continuing disagreement.  Anytime Rey asked her about it and received the same answer, she would fold up her arms and look solemnly away.

 

 

The season premiere of Outland base was the night before Hux’s parents’ grand annual costume ball.  It was a Thursday night as all of Hux’s and Phasma’s friends gathered in the media room of the house to watch the newest episode with Captain Phasma.  The forty plus people in the room were all crowded in and exploding in excitement every time the chrome trooper appeared.  At the end of the episode, Phasma, Hux and Rey were all congratulated on a job well done and most of the guests dispersed.  Amilyn Holdo decided to stay the night in the house with Poe and was immediately excited when she heard about Hux and Phasma’s costume ideas for the ball.

“You two are going as each other?” she exclaimed giddily.

“We’ve done it before when we were nineteen,” Hux replied. “It was one of the few times my father actually liked my costume.”

“Since it’s been a decade we thought we could try it again,” Phasma responded.

“Is anyone else going to your parents’ ball?”

“Rey and Ben are. Since Rey works at the studio, she’s automatically invited. Ben is her plus one.”

“How fun! What are you guys going to wear?”

“I’m wearing Phasma’s silver jacket and a pair of jeans,” Hux replied

“And I’m wearing one of his suits,” Phasma answered.

“First we have to dye our hair,” Hux remarked, holding up two bottles of hair dye.

“Ooh! Can I dye your hair? I love to do stuff like that,” Holdo begged. Hux and Phasma looked to each other and shrugged.

“Sure. Can’t say we have much experience in it anyway.”

Holdo went about mixing the bleach and the dye in separate bowls, ordering Hux and Phasma to go put on old clothes. When they came back to the kitchen she had a setup waiting for them consisting of two chairs sitting side by side.

“Sit here, Hux,” she indicated to one chair. “And Phasma, you sit here,” she tapped the other. With towels bunched around their necks, Hux and Phasma sat down. Rey came into the room at that moment.

“What’s going on here?” she asked. “I thought you said I could dye your hair.”

“Oh,” Phasma pursed her lips. “I thought you said you had to finish a script.”

“I did, but I knew it wouldn’t take me long. You didn’t want to check with me first?”

While Rey and Phasma talked about the merits of being considerate, Holdo ran a hand through the blonde’s hair.

“You have the finest hair I’ve ever seen,” she said. “So soft.”

Phasma could feel Holdo’s fingers spread through the strands of her hair, combing it gently. Holdo seemed to take longer than necessary. Rey shot an irked glance at Holdo and then back at Phasma.

“So, when does the bleaching happen?” Hux asked in mild impatience. Phasma and Rey weren’t the only ones to have noticed. Holdo hopped to her duties while Rey leaned against the wall, watching them. The bleach was spread over Hux’s hair first and then Holdo began painting the dye into Phasma’s.

“Are you sure that’s red?” Rey asked. “Looks awfully dark.”

“It says so,” Holdo replied, staring at the box. “Strawberry blond. Looks like the same shade as Hux’s anyway.”

“Shouldn’t it be red? It’s almost black,” Rey continued.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” Holdo dismissed. She ran a gloved hand through Phasma’s hair again and Rey’s jaw visibly clenched.

For thirty minutes Phasma could feel Rey’s eyes boring into her. The feeling she was in trouble with Rey gave her a bit of an upset stomach. Finally, Holdo grabbed Hux and bent his head into the sink so she could wash off the bleach. He came up with a crown of white gold.

“Perfect!” he declared as he looked at himself in the mirror. “I’m practically Phasma already.”

It was Phasma’s turn to have Holdo wash her hair in the sink. She could feel Holdo running water over her hair repeatedly, her hand smoothly brushing through the locks with increasing roughness.

“Hmmm…” she heard Holdo murmur.

“How come this is taking so long?” Phasma asked.

“Uh…” but Holdo couldn’t seem to come up with an answer. Finally, Phasma wrenched her head away and pulled a towel over her hair to dry it.  When she removed it she noticed both Rey and Hux gasp in shock.

“What?” Phasma demanded. “What’s wrong?”

“Let me see that box,” Hux replied as he grabbed it off the table. Phasma reached for a mirror and held it up to her face.

“What the fuck?” she cried out. “This isn’t red!”

“There must have been a mix up in the factory,” Hux mused.

“This is like, dark radioactive green!” Phasma shouted.

“You look great in it, though,” Holdo replied.

“Not now, Amilyn.” Phasma raised a hand to the air. Just at that moment, Poe entered the room and stopped cold when he saw Phasma.

“I thought you were going as Hux,” he said. Phasma huffed and stomped out of the kitchen. She could hear Holdo speaking to Poe as she left.

“I guess a threesome is out of the question now.”

 

 

Phasma spent an inordinate amount of time in the shower. There seemed to be nothing she could do to rinse the green out of her hair. She began to get frustrated, shaking the near empty bottle of shampoo in her hand in an attempt to dredge out the last remains.

“C’mon, stupid shampoo…” she complained. Apparently the bottle took offense at her words and it slipped out of her hands after one rigorous shake, flying up and hitting her smack in the face. She cried out, feeling the corner of the bottle pierce a sharp pain just under her right eye. She was surprised to pull her hand away and find blood dripping through her fingers. She cursed and rinsed off her cheek until the blood washed away, then she turned off the shower and went to look at herself in the mirror.

There was a small gash in her cheek that was already starting to turn deep red. She’d seen this kind of gash before. There was no doubt in her mind she was going to have a black eye by morning. She sighed and shook her head unhappily.

Phasma capitulated and came out of the bathroom, weary in defeat. Rey was in her room waiting for her.

“Uh…” Rey sat stunned at Phasma’s puffy cheek.

“I’ve had worse,” was all Phasma said dismissively.

“I’m sure you have but right now you are a plethora of colors.”

“Are you going to tell me I deserve this?” Phasma asked.

“Nothing of the sort,” Rey replied. “Why would I think that?”

“I-…I don’t know. Holdo…Nevermind.” Phasma slumped down onto the bed. Rey sidled up next to her and softly kissed her injured cheek. Phasma slightly winced but allowed it.

“We’ll try to bleach your hair out tomorrow, all right?” the brunette soothed. Phasma turned her head to look at her before nodding her head.

“All right.”

“In the meantime, I’m turning out the light. Gotta see if your head glows in the dark now,” Rey smiled as she reached for the lamp.

“Shut up!” Phasma laughed.

 

 

The next morning, Phasma ran into Hux in the kitchen.

“Fucking hell…” he said as he stared at her. Her eye had swollen shut and was a blotch of purple.

“I know. It’s embarrassing. I’ll tell you later.”

“Which means you hope I’ll forget to ask.”

It wasn’t until everyone left for work that Rey attempted to bleach Phasma’s hair back to her white gold. The contrast between the way Rey touched her to the way Holdo did was immediately apparent. Holdo was not very gentle in an aggressively seductive way. Rey slid her fingers through Phasma’s hair that sent goosebumps trailing up her arms. There was a sensuality to it that Phasma was embarrassed to admit about something so mundane as getting her hair bleached.

That all came to a screeching halt when Rey rinsed the bleach out and then uttered a simple ‘uh oh’.

The green was apparently too dark to hide. What resulted was a lighter green the color of sick snot but now her hair was frazzled due to the damage done by the caustic substances.

“Shit…” Phasma muttered.

 

 

“So, does the green have something to do with the costume party at Brendol Hux’s mansion tonight, or…?” Krennic asked Phasma as she headed to the costume department.

“Please don’t ask,” Phasma sighed.

“Fine. I won’t. But the producers called this morning. Captain Phasma is a very popular character right now.”

“That’s what they called you about?”

“No. You know how the cast is going to be at Comic Con tomorrow…?”

“No! I have to go to Comic Con?” Phasma exclaimed. “Everyone else has had a heads up for five months. Why am I just now getting this news?”

“I guess it was decided this morning because of the ratings from last night’s premiere. People want to see Captain Phasma.”

“I’ve got stuff to do tomorrow.”

“You’re going to have to cancel. The producers were pretty adamant.”

“I can’t see out of my right eye and I can’t get this green out of my hair, Krennic. Even if I wanted to go to Comic Con, I don’t want to be seen in front of a bunch of people like this.”

“Hmm…” Krennic narrowed his eyes at her hair and placed his hand at his chin. “I think I have a solution to that. Since we don’t have an actor cast for the Captain yet, and it’s the Captain people want to see anyway, why don’t you go in full costume? That way no one will be able to see your booger hair.”

“I liked everything you said up until booger hair.”

“Then it’s a deal.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Phasma suddenly replied. “Can I take the costume with me today that way I won’t have to come up here tomorrow to get it?”

“Sure,” Krennic shrugged. “That should be fine.”

“Good. Oh, and can I borrow an officer’s uniform?”

 

 

“Attention! General Hux on the bridge!” Phasma shouted as Hux descended the stairs and into the living room.

“Really, Phasma?” he questioned as he approached the group all waiting for him. He was dressed in a black, Outland Base general’s uniform complete with a long coat and hat. His hair was still bleached but he pulled it off well.

“At ease, soldiers,” Phasma continued.

“As your general, I order you to stop being such a nerd,” Hux commanded.

“You’re not my general,” Phasma replied. “I don’t take orders from you.”

“Still, you’re just a lowly captain. I outrank you by orders of magnitude.”

Phasma looked like she wanted to counter but came up short. With finger held in the air, her mouth hung open but no words followed.

“You look great, Hux!” Rey affirmed. She was dressed like a ninja with a bo staff. “You look like a real military leader.”

“Thank you, Rey. Are we ready to go?”

“Ready when you are,” Ben replied. Wearing dark robes, he was dressed like a sinister samurai. It had been four months since he had started his therapy and his progress was slow but noticeable. His new motto was ‘one day at a time.’

I don’t think I’ll fit in your Tesla,” Phasma said as she looked down at herself. Her armor looked like it was recently polished by the costume department.

“I can drive your car,” Hux responded. “You’ll have to sit in back though, otherwise you’ll reflect all the light into my eyes.”

 

 

The Hux mansion was in full swing by the time they arrived. Considering Hux and Phasma were already staples of both the mansion and the studio, they were extremely popular and met with high praise.

“Get this guy in the next episode!” one producer of Outland Base said of Hux. “He looks fantastic!”

“Is that you under there, Phasma?” Anakin asked, sidling up to the chrome trooper. Phasma nodded her head. “Heard you’re joining us tomorrow for the Comic Con panel. Can’t get away from the uniform, huh?”

Phasma held up her hands and cocked her head indifferently. She then glanced to her right and froze. It took her a second to confirm what she was seeing and she grabbed Hux by the arm and dragged him close to her.

“What the hell are the Snoke twins doing here?” she asked as she tilted her helmet up so he could hear her. Hux glanced in the direction she pointed and groaned at the sight of Trevor and Victoria Snoke dressed up as woodland faeries.

“I don’t know,” he commented. “But just ignore them. I’m sure father is just making amends with their father.”

“I’m going to fuck his shit up if he so much as-…”

“Quiet, Phasma!” Hux chastised. “Don’t worry about it. Just pretend they’re not here and maybe we can get through this night without a…oh, shit, here they come.”

Trevor and Victoria were snide people but undeniably gorgeous. With their identical blue eyes, sharp cheekbones and dark curly hair, they drew the attention of most crowds wherever they went. Currently their well toned physiques were being ogled by half the room considering their woodland faerie costumes left little to the imagination.

“Hux,” Trevor acknowledged, giving him a nod. He turned his attention to Phasma. “Tall and menacing. That’s gotta be Phasma under there.”

“It’s Captain Phasma to you.” Phasma practically had to shout.

“More like Captain Ugly.” Victoria snickered. Trevor held up his hand to her for silence.

“Really, Tory. Father said not to make any trouble, remember? Anyway, I wanted to see how things were going with you, Hux.”

“Fine,” Hux replied smugly.

“He’s been seeing a lot of other people. Totally in high demand right now,” Phasma nearly shouted again. Hux shushed her and turned to Trevor.

“I’m not seeing anyone,” Hux shrugged.

“He’s between relationships.”

“That’s enough from you, Captain,” Hux ordered with a scowl. Trevor looked less than persuaded.

“I highly doubt that,” Victoria sneered. “You don’t seem to have a way with women at all. I, for one, certainly never thought you were attractive.”

Phasma was glad for the helmet otherwise Victoria would see her glaring in astonishment at her. She glanced over at Trevor but he had an unreadable expression. Apparently he had never told his twin that not only was Hux gay but that they had been together for a year.

“That’s really not necessary,” Trevor told his sister.

“Everyone knows you two are banging anyway,” Victoria pointed from Hux to Phasma and back to Hux again. “You’ll make ugly, giant babies together.”

“You two really should be a couple,” Trevor noted though it didn’t sound unkind.

“At least I could trust Phasma never to cheat on me,” Hux responded with a hard tone. Trevor stared at Hux in exasperation. He clearly wanted to say something but not with his sister around.

“I would never lie to your face, puke in your car or steal a promising writer from another studio either,” Phasma added, stepping toward Trevor threateningly. Trevor frowned and rolled his eyes.

“Come on, Tory,” he waved to his sister. “These assholes can only hold a grudge.”

“You’re the asshole!” Phasma shouted to Trevor’s back. She turned to Hux and noticed his eyes following Trevor’s ass.

“Stop it!” she demanded. “He’s not sexy. Force yourself to look away.”

“Stupid, sexy Trevor…” Hux sneered. “Fuck that guy.”

“You better mean it in the context I mean it in.”

“Yeah, of course.” Hux replied. “You know I do.”

At that moment, Rey and Ben found them in the crowd.

“You guys are really easy to find,” Ben said to them while he ate a mini crabcake he had taken from one of the trays held by a meandering server. “What did Trevor want?”

“To be a total dick,” Phasma answered. “As usual.”

“Sorry I wasn’t around to pretend to be your boyfriend,” Ben nudged Hux in the ribs.

“It wouldn’t have worked. Too many people around. Not enough closets.”

“Trevor never told Victoria he and Hux were together,” Phasma said, or rather shouted through the helmet.

“Oh my god, Phasma,” Hux admonished with quick glances around them, “shut the hell up before you tell the whole room.” He then pointed to his parents who waved them over. “Time to go meet my folks, Rey. You ready?”

“Ready when you are,” she answered. They walked over to an older couple and the woman immediately hugged Hux to her bosom.

“My sweet boy!” she exclaimed.

“Hello, Mother,” Hux replied.

“Armitage.” Brendol shook his son’s hand. “Captain.” He shook Phasma’s. “Ben.” He gave him the same handshake. “Who’s this?”

“This is my cousin, Rey,” Ben told Brendol. “She’s a junior writer for the Outland Base show.”

“Ah, yes, I’ve heard of you,” Brendol replied. “Welcome aboard.”

“Thank you, sir.” Rey beamed.

“Such a lovely girl, you are!” Hux’s mother exclaimed. She was the type of woman with a lot of energy behind her words. “You must be beating all the boys away with a stick!”

“She’s also a very talented writer, Mother.” Hux rolled his eyes.

“Yes, yes, I know, sweet boy. I’m just noting how beautiful she is. Can’t a person notice such things? What is the world coming to where we can’t acknowledge that beauty is a favorable trait? Speaking of which, why are you wearing that silly helmet, Phasma?”

Phasma hit the back of her hand up against Hux’s shoulder.

“We had a hair dye incident,” Hux answered for Phasma. “She doesn’t want anyone to see her green hair.”

“It’s frazzled.” Phasma shouted.

“Also, her hair is frazzled,” Hux repeated.

“Oh, dear,” Hux’s mother said with a knowing look. “Yes, hide your face if you must. I wouldn’t want anyone to see me like that either.”

“Mother…” Hux shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“What?” Mrs. Hux asked in complete bewilderment. “What did I say?”

“It just wasn’t something that needed to be said, that’s all.”

“Why? Phasma knows she’s beautiful. She could get any man here, I bet. Are you seeing anyone, Phasma, dear?” Hux’s mother called to her like she was suddenly deaf. It wasn’t the shouting that caused Phasma to stand up straighter like a pole had just been shoved up her spine. She could feel Rey’s eyes on her, tense and hurt.

Phasma shook her head slowly.

“Oh, well, that’s too bad,” Mrs. Hux replied.

“Too bad, indeed,” Brendol repeated. “You’re the one I would have thought to be married by now.” Brendol shot a stern glance at his son. Hux rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

 

 

Rey usually spent the night in Phasma’s room so it was hardly surprising when Phasma found herself alone in her room after they had all come back from the costume party. Phasma shucked off her armor and went to Rey’s room.

“Rey!” Phasma whispered harshly up against the door after not receiving an answer to her knock. There was no reply and Phasma opened the door a crack to peek inside. Rey was on her bed staring at the floor with a concerned frown upon her face. She looked up at Phasma with light annoyance by the intrusion.

Phasma quickly entered and closed the door behind her.

“Can I come in?” she asked.

“You’re already in,” Rey replied.

Phasma stepped to the bed and sat down near Rey. Rey gave no opposition but wasn’t entirely receptive either.

“Is this about us?” Phasma asked.

“It’s been four months,” Rey responded. “Exactly when are we going to tell everyone we’re together?”

“Soon, I promise.”

“You always say that. Do you not want anyone to know?”

“I want the whole world to know,” Phasma replied. “But it’s just not a good time right now.”

“When is a good time?” Rey challenged.

“Soon.”

Rey groaned in frustration. Several seconds elapsed before Rey spoke again.

“Is it simply because of Ben?” Rey mostly wondered aloud.

“Why else?” Phasma answered.

Rey glared at her with narrowed eyes.

“Is there something else? You would tell me if it was about me, right?”

Phasma flinched back in surprise.

“It’s definitely not you,” Phasma declared, wrapping her arms around Rey. “You’re perfect. Why would you even think that?”

“You don’t have a fear of commitment, do you?”

Phasma leaned away from Rey and looked her straight in the eye in surprise. Rey waited for her to speak but nothing ever formed.

“Oh, damn, you do, don’t you?” Rey answered in exasperation.

“Kind of. Not really. I don’t know,” Phasma stuttered. “It’s possible that my father’s constant negligence surfaced some small abandonment issues. But they’re not prescription grade, I assure you.”

“That actually doesn’t make me feel assured at all.” Rey acknowledged.

“How can I show you I’m not afraid of committing to you?”

“Tell Ben we’re in a relationship.”

“Okay, in what other way can I show you I’m not afraid of committing to you?”

Rey sat in contemplation for a moment.

“Look at me, Phas,” Rey ordered. Phasma did as she was told. “I love you.”

Phasma waited for the usual coldness in her veins to sweep throughout her body, however nothing but a sudden swelling of her heart occurred. The blonde smiled and pulled Rey into a warm embrace.

“I love you too, Rey.”

 

 

Phasma took one end of the trunk while Rey took the other and together they went into the back entrance of the convention center, carrying the uniform inside.

“Get into costume already, Phasma!” Krennic pleaded with her.

“Hello to you too,” she responded.

“Someone sneezed in your hair, Phasma!” Anakin Skywalker called to her in jest. She mimicked a thumb across her neck at him and he simply laughed. With a few costumers on hand, Phasma was quickly transformed into the Captain. She came out and one of the comic con directors came sliding up to her.

“None of the patrons in the convention know you’re here so you’re going to be introduced as a special guest,” he said to her. “You’ll be the last one called out and you’re actually going to be coming from the back.” He showed her a floor plan and pointed to a door at the back of the room. “You’ll be coming out this middle door and walking through the aisle where the audience is seated. Come up through here and here,” she followed his finger as he pointed through which aisles to walk up. It was one of the larger exhibit rooms, seating around ten thousand. “Go up the left side of the stage and sit in this seat all the way to the right. We can’t mike you now because your armor is too loud but we’ll hand you a microphone once you’re seated. Clear?”

She gave him the thumbs up.

Rey followed as Phasma was escorted in full armor to the appropriate door after the audience had been seated.  They passed by many others who all stared at her in amazement.

“Is that the real Captain Phasma?” she heard someone say.

“Damn, that dude is _shiny_!”

“I want to have your babies!” she could hear a woman shout behind her. That one made her laugh in the privacy of her helmet. She looked at Rey who had a wry grin and didn’t seem at all uncomfortable by it. At least strangers didn’t poke at her jealousy.

Phasma could hear a moderator inside introducing the nine cast members plus the director. The audience cheered wildly until it suddenly got quiet and she could make out the next announcement a little better.

“So, we’ve got a special guest here with us. He was literally called in just yesterday so we’re lucky to have him here. I hope you like badass villains and to be able to look at yourself while you talk to him. So without further ado…the one, the only…Captain Phasma!”

The comic con ushers opened the door for her and she entered with a menacing march. The entire room erupted in ear-shattering cheer. Phasma had never been welcomed this way and it made her adrenaline spike. She came down through the aisles giving random high-fives and saluting little kids wearing Outland Base costumes. She finally made it to the stage where she walked across the rest of the cast to her seat, fist bumping Anakin as she passed by.

“Wow!” the moderator replied after the applause had died down. “That was quite a reception.”

“Best reception I’ve ever had,” Phasma responded. It took her a second to realize no one had heard her through her mask. She looked around for a microphone but no one was around to give one to her. Krennic, who was on the opposite side of the stage, noticed.

“Can we get a microphone for the Captain?”

“Microphone, please!” the moderator shouted, but then shrugged after getting an indecipherable statement offstage. “They don’t have one available. Guess you’re going to have to pantomime, Captain.”

Phasma simply made an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders and that was the beginning of her mute role. She really didn’t mind. The rest of the cast were the real reason everyone was there and so she sat back and listened to them answer questions.

For half an hour the regular cast discussed behind the scenes occurrences and mishaps until the moderator directed one at her.

“Captain Phasma,” the announcer turned to her. “Can you tell us about yourself? How did you get this gig?”

Phasma pointed at Krennic, delegating the question to him.

“Phasma has been with the show since the beginning as a stunt performer,” Krennic replied. “Generally Phasma does most of the fight scenes or the speeder bike scenes but from time to time we’ll toss in a free fall or two. Right, Phas?”

Phasma gave him the thumbs up.

“Anyway,” Krennic continued. “There was a scene that we did where Phasma wore a regular trooper uniform and fought with a bo staff. You might remember from last season. Anyone?”

There was a burst of loud applause from the audience.

“Yeah, exactly. That was the response we all had too,” Krennic laughed. “It looked so great the writers knew they had to make a new villain with a bo staff. The only person ever considered to play the character was Phasma.”

“So that’s how the character was created?” the moderator asked.

“That’s how the Captain was created,” Krennic confirmed.

“Moving on…” the moderator continued. There were more questions and answers from the rest of the cast until the questions were turned over to the audience. The very first one was for Phasma.

“Uh, yeah, this is for the Captain,” a thin, pale man in his early thirties asked into the microphone. “Your fight scenes are the best but you haven’t had any against Anakin Skywalker’s character. Are you going to have any against him this upcoming season?”

Phasma nodded fervently and stood up. She bent over Anakin, pulled him out of his chair and slung him over her shoulder. Anakin laughed wildly, gripping her cape in an attempt to keep from falling all the way to the floor. She then held him with one hand and flexed her other. Anakin pulled her cape to the side and began playfully slapping her ass. The audience lost their fucking minds.

Flashes from camera phones lit up the entire exhibit hall while the cast laughed as the two bantered. Phasma put Anakin down and they high fived before sitting back in their seats.

“Well,” the moderator said to the audience. “I bet you guys didn’t expect that to happen today.”

“I think I just got laid,” Anakin replied, generating another burst of laughter.

The next audience question was directed at Padme Amidala but the one after that was for Phasma again.

“Hi, Captain Phasma!” a young woman in her early twenties said giddily. “Can I have a hug?” Phasma shot up in her seat in surprise. She pointed to herself and the woman confirmed she was talking to her. Phasma stood up and ran off the stage then up the aisle to the woman who welcomed her with open arms. Phasma had never hugged anyone in her armor before (though she had made out with Rey in it several times) and was unsure if the metal plates would be uncomfortable to hug with but the woman seemed completely happy to grip her eager little hands around Phasma and squeeze tightly. Phasma ran back to her seat, catching a glimpse of Rey standing near the stage and was glad to see her grinning happily as well.

“So tall!” the woman giggled into the mike before going back to her seat.

“I’m never going to be a good guy again,” the moderator responded. “Villains clearly get all the love.”

There were more questions for the others until the last question, which was, again, directed at Phasma.

“This is for Captain Phasma,” a little girl of about twelve asked into the microphone. Phasma sat higher in her seat, waiting for the question. “How did you learn to fight like you do? Can you teach me?”

Phasma immediately pointed at Rey. Krennic translated.

“What that means is that our junior writer, Rey Walker, taught Phasma how to use the bo staff. So what you see on screen is a result of all their practicing.”

“Really?” the moderator asked in surprise. “That woman over there taught Captain Phasma how to fight?” He pointed to Rey with his cue cards in hand.

“She did. With the bo staff anyway,” Krennic remarked. “But Phasma already knew how to fight before that. You did some boxing and jiu-jitsu, right, Phas?”

Phasma crossed her hands across her chest in a tight X, like grappling with an imaginary person, then nodded her head.

“And wrestling,” Krennic added. “Phasma wrestled in high school.”

“I’ve got another question about the actor’s identity,” the moderator said. “Is there a reason you’re keeping it a secret?”

“What?” Krennic responded in surprise. “We’re not keeping it a secret.”

“You keep calling him by his character name.”

“Oh! I see what you mean. No, the real name of the person playing the Captain is actually named Phasma.”

“So Captain Phasma is named after the person under the uniform?”

“Yes, that’s right. Phasma Tarkin. We don’t yet have an actor for the visible portion of the role, but Phasma performs all the fights and stage work, and will do so even after an actor has been cast.”

“Phasma’s usually my stunt double so she’s been pulling double duty since last season,” Padme added. “If my character is ever on a speeder bike, just know that’s her and not me.”

The moderator flinched like someone had pinched his ass.

“Her?!” he sputtered. Phasma could hear the audience murmuring loudly now, whispering questions to each other in surprise.

“Yes, Phasma Tarkin is a woman,” Krennic replied.

“The person in that armor right now is a woman?” the moderator continued to flabbergast.

“Yes,” Padme responded with a hint of annoyance. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

“He just threw Anakin over his shoulder,” the moderator replied in disbelief.

“ _She_  threw me over _her_  shoulder,” Anakin defended. “Believe me, Phasma is very strong.”

“And tall,” Chewy Mayhew said. “Phasma is sometimes my stunt double too. She did that episode where my character fell through the air shafts.”

“Well, if her identity isn’t a secret, lets see her, huh?” the moderator egged on. Everyone in the exhibit hall clapped in excitement.

Phasma felt a bolt of fear shoot up her spine. There was a ringing in her ears as she sat with a rigid back in her chair, heat rose through her face at the idea of being exposed. A million thoughts went racing through her mind. Booger hair. Black eye. Sweat drenched. No make up. Ten thousand people. Not prepared for this…

The first reveal of her in front of an audience was going to be at her absolute worst.

After sitting still for a while, Krennic noticed her hesitation.

“Okay, so Phasma was told she wouldn’t have to show her face. She’s a stunt performer, not an actress, and isn’t comfortable in front of large crowds,” he replied, not knowing if he should mention anything else. Phasma was just glad someone was advocating for her.

“We’re all friends here!” the moderator pressed. “Everyone wants to see this badass _woman_  villain.” His tone indicated he didn’t believe a woman was capable of being the Captain. Phasma looked to Padme and was not surprised to see her shooting daggers at the moderator. Padme turned to look at Phasma with pleading eyes. _Make this guy eat his words_.

But Phasma had never had stage fright until now. She had never been so _paralyzed_.

“Uh, so this is a funny story,” Anakin replied, doing his best to ease the rising tension. “But a few days ago Phasma accidentally dyed her hair green and she doesn’t want the whole world to see it, you know?”

“Green? Accidentally?” the moderator questioned, clearly skeptical.

“Yeah, it was supposed to be red,” Anakin answered. “It was for a costume party.”

“How do you mix up green and red dye?”

“I think there was a mix-up at the factory,” Chewy Mayhew said. “Right, Phas?”

Phasma could barely nod her head, she was frozen in fright.

“Still, green hair is hardly anything to be ashamed of…” the moderator replied condescendingly.

“Well, and the black eye,” Padme responded, directing her words to Phasma next. “Is it the black eye you don’t want people to see, Phasma?”

“A black eye, huh?” the moderator seemed convinced they were playing him. “How’d she get the black eye?”

“Training accident,” Krennic quickly lied. The rest of the cast members agreed.

“You can just say his identity is a secret,” the moderator remarked. “That’s something we all understand, right everybody?” The audience clapped but it was half-hearted.

And then time was up and they were all waved out to deafening applause. Phasma tried to keep her head held high like Captain Phasma would do but she had let her cast mates down in front of thousands of people and her whole body slumped with the weight of her failure. No one blamed her and they all offered kind words but she could barely look Rey, or anyone else for that matter, in the eye. She cast the uniform back into the case and headed home in shame.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phasma's movin' on up. And her idiocy catches up with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have interjected some unnecessary light/medium fluffiness into this chapter. I also went meta-fanfic.

There was certainly no one blaming Phasma for what happened at Comic Con nor anyone who gave her the ‘you should have’s’ but it had been a blow to her ego and she just needed time to recover. Luckily, she had a great network of friends willing to boost her self esteem. Hux slapped a hat on her and dragged Phasma, the rest of the housemates and plenty of their other friends to the bar where they played pool and video games and sang a lot of karaoke.

Phasma and Hux sang their usual set of power ballads, Poe turned out to be quite the crooner, Unamo and Mitaka sounded like mating cats, Ben went hardcore on a metal song and Holdo chose an all out risque number to strut her stuff to, but it wasn’t until later that Phasma found out Rey was a surprisingly good singer. She sat captivated as Rey belted out a love song, her eyes never leaving Phasma’s as she sang. She was thankful the music in the room was so loud in fear that everyone would be able to hear the hard beating of her heart.

Hux and her friends succeeded in pulling Phasma out of her funk, but Rey was the one that was able to push her beyond it.

The next day, Rey handed Phasma a USB.

“What’s this?” Phasma questioned.

“Porn,” Rey teased. Phasma nearly ran to her bedroom, popping the USB into the slot as soon as she had her laptop in hand.

Rey wasn’t lying. The file was labeled ‘Outpost Base Fanfiction’.

 

_It was through a series of questionable means for intel, hard fought battles, and an immense amount of luck that Captain Phasma was finally captured alive…_

 

Phasma read the short story as quickly as her brain could process it. It was a short tale about the Captain’s escape from the base. After being captured, the Captain was approached by an unnamed person with the exact physical likeness of Rey who wore an Outland base uniform bearing lieutenant stripes on the sleeve. The Lieutenant offered to free the Captain in exchange for a kiss. What progressed was certainly more than just a kiss. By the end of the story, Phasma’s adrenaline had spiked, her heart was racing and she could hardly breathe.

“Where’s Rey?” Phasma asked Hux when she went to go look for her.

“She and Ben went to the store,” he replied. “They just left so probably not going to be back for a while. What’s wrong with you? You look like you just raced a marathon.”

When Rey came back, she eyed Phasma speculatively and smiled teasingly when she noted the need etched in the blonde’s face. It was a rare night where everyone in the house was free to hang out and Hux insisted that they all play a game. No matter what she did, Phasma could not dispel the excitement the story had provoked in her, making it hard to concentrate. The night seemed to take forever until finally everyone went to bed and Phasma grabbed Rey when they were alone in the hallway, taking her to her own room. Rey happily allowed her to lead her in. Within seconds they were both naked under the covers and trying not to alert the rest of the house of their activities.

“Did you like my story?” Rey asked later after Phasma was more than satiated.

“Like is an understatement,” Phasma replied. “I want to read more of your fantasies. Especially when they involve me. You should post that on one of those fanfiction sites.”

“No way! If anyone were to stumble across it, it would be so obvious that I wrote myself into it. Besides, it’ll be obsolete once they hire an actor to be the face of Captain Phasma.”

“Regardless of who is cast as the Captain, I think you should submit this to Mace," Phasma joked. "See what he thinks. Maybe they’ll incorporate it into the story.”

“This is my fantasy. I don’t want the whole world to know the paths my mind sometimes wanders.”

“Write more fantasies,” Phasma smiled. “I’ll make them come true.”

Rey went quiet and Phasma knew what she was thinking. Her biggest fantasy was so attainable. All Phasma had to do was tell Ben she was in a relationship with his cousin. Phasma sighed and held Rey to her.

“Soon,” she said. Rey said nothing.

 

 

On Monday, Rey sweetly kissed Phasma goodbye and they separated on the lot to their respective places. Rey went to her shared office in the writer’s block and Phasma went into the training room to work on the next fight routine. No one said anything to her about Comic Con, which she preferred, though she could feel their stares on her, especially as her hair was still dull green and the skin around her eye a deep shade of purple.

The fight choreograph was the most difficult one yet. It was set to be a one shot scene panning through a long corridor inside a star destroyer. A set was made specifically for the scene. It was deemed by the stunt coordinators and the writers as ‘the battle of the century.’

In her black workout clothes, Phasma stood on one end of the corridor set, facing thirty other stunt men in casual clothes. They all listened as Bob went over the details of the arrangement since by this point they all knew the fight routine by heart.

“...Don’t forget to use your whole body into the swing,” he told Phasma as he demonstrated with the staff how to arc it all the way from the floor to the ceiling. He then pointed to one of the closer stuntmen. “And you make sure you get a good backflip into the swing. Make it look like she knocked you back so hard that it spun you 180 degrees.”

They were interrupted by two people entering the set and speed walking towards them.  It was Krennic and Mace Windu.

“We need to speak with Phasma,” Krennic said as he took her by the arm and led her away from the rest of the stuntmen. It felt so secretive that Phasma wondered if she was in trouble.

“You’ve seen the videos?” Mace asked Phasma. He was referring to the ones taken from Comic Con. There had been a multitude of camera phones that captured the pretend fight between Captain Phasma and Anakin Skywalker, and the discussion about Captain Phasma’s secret identity. Both videos had gained a lot of traction.

“What about them?” Phasma asked.

“We want you to be Captain Phasma,” Krennic declared. Phasma gave him a dumb look.

“But I’m already Captain Phasma.”

“No, I mean we want you to be the face of Captain Phasma,” Krennic replied. “We had a meeting this morning and it was established that you’ve shown immense improvement with your acting skills and the cast already knows and likes you. We all agreed that you are our best choice.”

“This isn’t some weird way of shoving that moderator’s words in his face, is it?” Phasma asked skeptically. Krennic glanced to the ceiling in guilt.

“Not just for that reason,” he admitted. “But studios don’t run on vengeance, only money, and it’s banking on you. We wouldn’t come to you if we didn’t think you weren’t right for this part. I mean, you’re already the part anyway. We’re just extending it a little further.”

Phasma sighed heavily.

“From what I can recall, the moment I took this role you said I wouldn’t have to act. I’m not an actress, Krennic.”

“I know,” he responded with his hands up in surrender. “But I really do think you’re the best fit for this part. You’ll still mostly be hidden by the costume but every once in a while we’d film you without a helmet. That’s all.”

“I don’t believe you,” Phasma deadpanned.

“All right, at this moment I swear to you that there are no plans to film you outside of costume. The only scene we have planned without a helmet is an upcoming fight scene.”

“Which upcoming fight scene?”

“This upcoming fight scene.” Mace pointed to the set.

“This one?” Phasma asked incredulously. “The one we’re filming tomorrow? The one that’s going to be aired in seven weeks?” Both Krennic and Mace nodded.

“So picture this,” Mace began. “As you know, the Outland Base soldiers pumped sleeping gas through the corridors of Captain Phasma’s star destroyer, which knocks out all of the storm troopers except Captain Phasma. This is, of course, why she’s fighting the Outland Base soldiers on her own, but instead of just having her kick those soldiers asses, we’re going to make this the big reveal. This is the best time to show the audience who’s underneath the mask… and then she’s going to kick some asses.”

“And everyone’s going to know it can only be you because there’s no helmet to hide your face,” Krennic said a little too excitedly.

“Especially that moderator at Comic Con,” Phasma said flatly.

“Especially that asshole,” Krennic agreed.

“I honestly don’t care if people believe Captain Phasma is a woman or not. I didn’t sign up for this,” Phasma responded.

“I knew you’d say that,” Krennic declared. “That’s why I called in the big guns.”

“The big guns?” Phasma questioned. Krennic didn’t answer. He and Mace were already dialing a number on Mace’s phone.

“Yeah, she said no,” Mace told the person on the other end of the line. There was a brief pause before Mace handed the phone to Phasma. “Here. He wants to talk to you.”

“Who?” Phasma asked, knowing she wouldn’t get an answer. She held the phone to her ear and immediately recognized the deep growl of the voice coming through the line.

“I don’t need to be interrupted all day on your account, Captain.”

“Brendol? What the hell is going-…?”

“Have your agent draw up a list of demands. I have it on good authority it will be honored. Don’t get too bold though or I’ll regret giving you this kind of leeway.”

“I’m not an actress, Brendol. Bribing isn’t going to work.”

“Remember that vintage, custom made land speeder sitting in my garage that I wouldn’t let you and Armitage touch when you were teens?”

“I’m not changing my mind over a car. What kind of person do you think I am?”

“I’ll let you chauffeur Armitage in it.”

“What kind of offer is _that_?”

“To the premiere of his project I pulled off the greenlight roster a few months back.”

There was a stunned silence as Phasma assessed what this would mean for Hux. Armitage had been incredibly upset over his father crushing his desire to get his favorite screenplay made into a movie. It had been too bohemian for Brendol’s tastes and he scratched it from production in an hour after Hux had spent months trying to get it up and running.

“What are you getting out of this?” she questioned.

“I’ve watched you grow up beside my son. You are the Captain,” he simply stated. The words did not sound like they came easily. He was not used to speaking from the heart.

There was a long silence that followed. It was long enough that she could hear Brendol lift the receiver from his ear to look at the screen on his phone just to ensure the call had not been disconnected.

“Two scripts,” Phasma finally replied.

“What?”

“Let Armitage greenlight two of his projects. No questions asked. No doubts touted.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Brendol answered, though his voice betrayed a small smile at the corner of his lips. “I give you my word.”

“I want to see it in writing anyway.”

“Of course. Get your agent to draw up the demands. No more delays. The scene will be shot tomorrow.” And with that, Brendol ended the call.

 

 

Phasma did as she was told. She called her agent and told him to work out the details so that she was appropriately paid and given what a standard actress might expect. She was worried about her appearance but Krennic sent her to hair and make-up and they took one look at her and went giddy in delight. They loved a good challenge.

They rinsed a solvent through her hair and took out the rest of the green, then they conditioned it so that it was soft and golden again. Krennic wanted her first appearance on the show to be intimidating so they cut her hair short in the back and on the sides but left the top long enough to be spiked up. They did a test make-up and found they could reasonably hide the bruising but not the gash under her eye. Krennic tapped his chin and smiled. He would be able to work with that.

Rey showed up near the end of the day, having heard that every aspect of Captain Phasma would be played by her girlfriend. When Phasma came out of the studio offices after signing her new contract, Rey took one look at her and gasped. Phasma was confused until she finally found herself alone with Rey that night.

“Just stay still,” Rey told Phasma as she straddled her on the bed. Pressing her breasts in Phasma’s face, the blonde could feel Rey’s fingers gliding smoothly through her hair and over her scalp.

“Should I t-…” Phasma began but was quickly shushed.

“Shh…just want this,” Rey answered. Phasma resigned to simply sitting against the headboard while Rey played with the spikes in her hair. There were faint whispers of ‘ohmygod’ and ‘sosoft’ coming from Rey’s mouth until the brunette took off her shirt and hugged Phasma’s head to her naked breasts. It was impossible for things not to escalate from there.

 

 

“And…Action!” Krennic shouted. It was the twenty-ninth time Phasma wielded her silverstaff and performed the fight routine the following day. The fact that this scene was one very long take from only one angle made it so that other angles didn’t need to be shot, but it also meant having to do the entire sequence over and over again. At the moment, it took just over two minutes to complete the entire take, which was about seventy seconds longer than any scene Phasma had ever had to endure. She was tired, and considering she wasn’t wearing a helmet, it became more evident in her expression as the day wore on, but she gave it her all and at the end of the take she felt the last one was perfect.

Apparently Krennic agreed as he shouted, “that’s a wrap, guys!”

Phasma walked over to the craft services table after others congratulated her on an excellent performance.

“Rey taught you well,” a voice declared from behind her. She turned to see Hux standing near her, looking at her thoughtfully.

“She did,” Phasma agreed as she popped a grape in her mouth. “What brings you down here, away from your comfy office?”

“Two things,” he stated. “My canned project and your new contract, which coincidentally happened on the same day.”

Phasma hadn’t told Hux about the deal she made with his father. She didn’t want him to feel that she had infringed upon his project behind his back.

“Ah. I didn’t think Brendol would have outright told you about it,” she apologized.

“He didn’t. I heard you were officially made the Captain and then I was given free reign on two scripts of my choice. I put two and two together.”

“That was one hell of a leap. I don’t see how you figured that one out,” she responded.

“I know you, Phasma,” he replied. She could generally read his moods but he was indecipherable at the moment and she couldn’t tell if he was angry about it.

“I really hope you’re not mad at me for butting into your project,” she told him. “I just really wanted to see you finally get the things you want and I know how important your project was to you so I took the risk o-…oof!”

Phasma could barely breathe once Hux circled his arms around her waist and brought her into a tight bear hug. She was aware of the crew surreptitiously watching them and even heard a few murmurs of ‘awww…’ floating her way.

“You’re my best friend, Phas,” Hux said into her neck.

“I love you too, Huxie.”

 

 

Phasma wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable about being filmed without a helmet on as she thought she would be. She quickly acclimated to taking directions from Krennic off screen as the camera was pointed in her face.

“Look mad, Phasma!” he yelled to her. She grit her teeth and stared angrily at the prop held just off camera. “Madder, Phasma! Someone just sucker punched your helmet off! Your identity isn’t a secret anymore! You should be pissed off! Stare at the prop like it just killed your cat!”

She was glad she had practiced her expressions last week. After a while, Krennic was satisfied with the shot and the crew dispersed. Phasma was approached by a PA.

“Your trailer is ready,” he told her.

“My trailer?” She hadn’t read her new contract yet or she would have known it stipulated she get a trailer in the lot. She followed the PA to a trailer with a sign labeled Phasma Tarkin to the side of the door.

As soon as she got over her shock, the first thing she did was call Rey.

“Oh my god, you’re right!” Rey exclaimed as soon as she entered the trailer. “It is awesome! How did you not know you were getting a trailer?”

“Let’s christen this couch,” was all Phasma replied.

 

 

Ben was trying to improve his attitude but his progression was slow and luck was practically shoving it’s way into everyone else’s lives. After Phasma told him about becoming an actual reoccurring member of the cast, he congratulated her rather than dote on how his life was unchanged and unglamorous like he would have six months ago. There was still a lingering ‘poor me’ attitude but he suppressed it as best as he could.

Then Hux told him about the project that was back on the greenlight roster. Because it had been all anything Hux had talked about before it got canned, it was no surprise when it was incorporated back into his everyday discussion. Ben congratulated him with a quiet tone.

Then Poe announced he would be leaving the house after his lease was up in two months. He and Holdo were going to find a place together closer to the airfield. Ben congratulated Poe on the big step in his relationship, but not without commenting that he had never had a relationship that went as far as cohabitation.

Then Rey declared she was assigned the next Outland Base episode. It would be the first episode she would ever write on her own and given full credit. Ben quietly slunk away to go call his therapist.

 

 

It came as no surprise to Phasma when she read Rey’s script and noted that she had a lot more lines than usual.

“I can’t not write lines for the Captain,” Rey defended when Phasma questioned it. “This is a pivotal moment for the show. Who else is going to give the orders to dismantle the planet’s defense systems?”

At the table reads, Phasma wanted to make sure Mace was impressed with Rey’s writing so she put more effort into her lines. It accidentally spurred a thought in the other writers and the director that maybe this scene would be best shot without a helmet to hide Phasma’s face.

“There’s so much emotion in this scene that we can’t possibly have Phasma’s expressions hidden from view,” Krennic said. Everyone agreed and Phasma had no choice but to go along with it.

A week later the scene was set up and Phasma stood around a large futuristic boardroom in full armor sans helmet, telling her Nazi-looking subordinates the plan. One questioned the schematics and the Captain whipped out a sidearm with superhuman quickness and shot him dead between the eyes.

“Are there any other questions?” the Captain threatened. Everyone surrounding her quickly shook their heads.

“Cut and print!” Krennic shouted. “Nice work, Phasma!”

Still in full armor, Phasma walked to her trailer. She entered and then pulled the door shut and was immediately surprised when a silk lasso flew over her head, loosely ensnaring her.

“Captain Phasma, I presume,” a flirtatious voice said. “You’ve finally been captured.” At the other end of the silk rope stood Rey, who held it lightly and smiled up at her in a coquettish grin. She was wearing an Outland Base costume. On the sleeves were Lieutenant’s stripes.

Phasma paused in wonderment before finally speaking.

“I need to get back to my star destroyer, Lieutenant,” she replied. “I’d do anything if you’d release me.”

“Hmm…” Rey pretended to ponder thoughtfully as she reeled in the rope. “I believe there is something you could do for me…”

 

 

Each passing week seemed to require more lines and screen time for Captain Phasma. Krennic shook his head every time Phasma had to get into full armor.

“This is ridiculous,” he stated. “Does the Captain not wear anything else?”

And that was the beginning of Phasma’s extended costume wardrobe. Rose Tico handed her a sleek, black, military uniform before her next shoot.

“Put this on,” she said to Phasma, who stood a foot taller than her.

“I’m getting a proper uniform?” Phasma asked in delight. The armor had been difficult to get in, especially on her own. At least now she could dress in relative privacy.

“Yep,” Rose answered. “But don’t forget the cape.”

Phasma entered the set in her black uniform and still rockin’ the red-lined, black cape. She was immediately catcalled.

“Damn, Phasma!” Anakin shouted. “You make me want to join the dark side!”

“Giiiiiiiirl,” Padme whistled. “Sharp!”

Phasma turned just in time to see Rey enter the set.

“What do you think?” she asked, holding her arms out. Rey’s jaw dropped and her eyes wandered over every inch of her body. She was rendered speechless. A little later, Phasma noted Rey talking excitedly with Padme, shooting quick glances at Phasma and fanning herself with a script.

 

 

Rey was more encapsulated with the uniform than Phasma would have imagined. They came home and Rey would not stop talking about it.

“It’s so cool looking,” she gushed. “I can’t think of a word that properly describes it.”

“That’s odd for a writer.” Ben replied flatly. Rey gave him a scowl.

Later that night Rey went to go work on a script she had bouncing around in her head. Poe, Ben and Phasma played pool for a while. For some reason, Ben felt this was the time to speak his mind.

“I can’t help but notice that you and Rey hang out a lot,” Ben said as casually as he could. Phasma felt her heart jump in her throat.

“What do you mean?” she feigned ignorance. “We work and live together. Stands to reason I’d see a lot of her.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Poe reinforced.

“It’s just, you have a way of getting people to like you,” Ben responded as he shot a striped ball into a corner pocket.

“You’ve lost me,” Phasma replied. Ben chuckled like he knew she was lying.

“I know Rey,” he said, staring Phasma in the eye. “When she wants something, she generally goes after it.”

“Like her writing career?” Poe asked.

“Yeah, but that’s not what I’m talking about,” Ben remarked.

“That’s nice,” Phasma shrugged, hoping her disinterest would change the subject.

“What does she want?” Poe asked.

“Phasma,” Ben stated. “Rey wants Phasma.”

Phasma felt her heart stop mid-beat. She glanced over to Poe who gave her a silent look of shock.

“Rey’s gay?” Poe asked incredulously.

“I’m not sure what you mean, Ben,” Phasma managed to say without sounding too phony.

“I know,” Ben responded, to her surprise. “You never notice. Hux is right in that you’re not always self-aware. Someone could fall naked in your lap and you wouldn’t think they were coming onto you.”

“You better not be saying I’m stupid,” she remarked somewhat angrily.

“You’re definitely not stupid,” Poe confirmed.

“Thanks.”

“Please, that’s not what I’m saying.” Ben shook his head. “I loved you for years, Phasma, but you never noticed until I said something. That actor fellow you had a fling with didn’t break up with you because he was done. You failed to realize he wanted more and he couldn’t handle not getting it.”

“I’m going to smack Hux for telling you about that,” Phasma pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“That’s not the point. Rey likes you. She might be in love with you.”

“You don’t know that,” Phasma dismissed as Poe scratched his chin and looked to the floor in deep thought.

“Really? You don’t see it? She won’t stop talking about you. She was way too happy about sharing a room with you when we went camping. She makes those fucking eyes at you when you’re not looking. The love song she sang to you at karaoke? It’s all so obvious but you don’t even know it’s happening.”

The more he spoke, the more angry Phasma became. Of course she knew all that was happening. She was instigating half of it. He was right that Rey loved her but he had no presence of mind to realize that Phasma loved Rey too. It just wouldn’t have entered his thoughts that she had the emotional ability to fall in love. Something about this conversation seemed manipulative but she didn’t know what his end goal was.

“What are you getting at?” Phasma demanded.

“I love my cousin,” Ben replied, like he was the better man. “I love Rey, but you’re just going to end up hurting her like you end up hurting everyone who falls in love with you.”

If Poe hadn’t been there, Phasma would have been ready to throw her pool cue down and grab him by the collar. Instead she fisted her hands to her side and bore her eyes into him.

“I’m trying my damned hardest not to hurt anyone. Especially you, Ben, and if you’re upset by the fact I can’t reciprocate your feelings then that’s entirely on you.”

“It does hurt,” Ben replied pointblank. “But you don’t care.”

“Dude, you guys gotta talk about this on your own time,” Poe cut the tension. “It’s pool time.”

“I’m sure Phasma would rather I just disappear,” Ben responded, slotting his cue back in the rack. “Easier to ignore people when they’re not around.”

He walked to the door while Poe and Phasma glanced at each other uneasily until Ben turned to make one last jab. “Sorry Rey and I make you uncomfortable, Phas.”

And there it was. He was trying to get her to avoid Rey just like she had avoided him after he had declared his feelings for her last year. Phasma seethed silently until Poe prodded her with his pool cue.

“So…are we going to keep playing? We’re not playing anymore, are we? I’m going to stay out of this,” he said as he racked his cue.

 

 

Phasma wondered if she should tell Rey about her discussion with Ben. She knew it would only compel Rey to plead with her that they publicly acknowledge their relationship. At this point Phasma’s resolve was hanging by a thread. The two things that kept her from revealing their relationship to the world was, first, that Hux and Ben seemed to be in a relationship and she didn’t want some kind of implosion between her and Hux if Ben went berserk upon finding out she had been sleeping with his cousin. And second was because she would have to finally admit that she had a light fear of commitment. She loved Rey with all her heart but no amount of love would suppress the terror of being judged for the bedmates you keep.

Making sure Hux never had to choose between her or Ben and having the luxury not to have people questioning her relationship caused Phasma to keep her mouth shut.

“What’s going on with you?” Rey asked her when they slipped into bed. “You seem upset.”

“I’m not upset,” Phasma replied. “Just a little nervous.”

“Because of the Captain Phasma reveal? It’s four days away. I’ve seen the footage and I might be biased, but it’s one of the best shots I’ve seen on TV. Everyone’s going to love it.” Rey assured, kissing her on her cheek. Phasma pulled her tightly in her arms.

 

 

On the lot a few days later, Phasma received a phone call from Brendol Hux.

“I don’t know where Armitage is,” she said into the receiver as soon as she accepted the call.

“This isn’t about that. I’m told Captain Phasma’s reveal is happening tomorrow night.”

“That’s what they tell me.”

“Get your friends together. The studio is hosting the event in the lot theater for what Armitage calls a ‘viewing party’.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Phasma exclaimed. “Why would we need the theater for that?”

“I’m also inviting the crew and a bunch of the senior management.”

“Shit, Brendol, this is not what I would have asked for.”

“I know, but I have it on good authority that it’s going to be one of those ‘award contender’ episodes.”

“You’re going to make me the most hated person on the lot.”

“No one could hate _my_  girl. And if they have a problem with that, they can come see me about it.”

“Yeah, that’s what’s going to make me so hated. You’re not one to play favorites, but when you do, you make damn sure everyone knows who to target.”

“Quit complaining, Captain. Better to be on my good side than my bad. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” And then Brendol hung up.

Not five minutes later Chewy Mayhew came strolling up to her side with a wide smile across his face.

“Watch party in the theater, eh, Phasma?” he said cordially. “Can’t wait!”

“I swear this was not my idea.”

“Everyone knows that. I, for one, think it’s about time there was a watch party in your honor. Plus free food and drinks courtesy of the studio president will always bring me to an event. Not that that’s the reason I’m going…”

“I don’t mind if it is. I’m a little embarrassed by it.”

“You deserve a big congratulations and Brendol Hux is just trying to fund it. We’re all proud of you, you know. No one sees it as you being self-inflating.”

“Thanks, Chewy,” Phasma smiled up at him, feeling less humiliated.

“Of course. I like being here for your rise to fame. From stunt performer to actress.”

“Actress?” Phasma blurted in surprise. “I’m not an actress.”

Chewy chuckled. He slung his arm around Phasma’s shoulder and walked her towards the set.

 

 

“How fancy are we supposed to get to this watch party tomorrow?” Rey asked as she dug through her closet for a dress.

“I don’t know. I’m just wearing jeans and a t-shirt,” Phasma replied as she sat on Rey’s bed and scrolled through the Outland Base forums boards. There was a lot of talk about the episode considering the teaser trailer hinted towards the reveal. Everyone on the internet was making wild shots in the dark.

 

 _> Captain Fasma is an alien._  
_> Captain Phasma is Darth Vader._  
_> The Captain is a woman. Didn’t you all see the youtube videos from Comic Con?_  
_-That was a classic misdirection. They wouldn’t go the obvious route._  
_-Or that’s what the writers would have you believe…_  
_-Shut up newb you don’t know shit about writing a show_

 

“Just jeans and a t-shirt?” Rey questioned. “You’re kind of the one on parade, you know.”

“What would you rather I wore?”

“Your white pants with the dark blue top is pretty hot. Shows off your arms.”

“You had me at hot. Do I get to dress you now?”

“Ooh, that’s sexy. What do you want me to wear?”

“Purple!” Phasma nearly shouted. “I like it when you wear purple.”

Rey drew out two purple blouses. “Which one?”

“The lighter one,” Phasma responded as she got up off the bed and took it from Rey’s hands. Phasma placed it up to Rey’s body, making sure it was what she wanted and then nodded in satisfaction. She then threw the blouse onto the bed and placed her hands at the hem of Rey’s shirt.

“What are you doing?” Rey laughed.

“Making sure the blouse fits. Better try it on,” Phasma grinned mischievously as she tried to lift Rey’s shirt up her torso.

“It fit fine last time I wore it,” Rey playfully fought with her.

“Still…best to make sure.” Phasma replied, still wrestling the shirt off of Rey. A sudden knock on the door made them both pause in shock. Before Rey could ask who it was, Phasma bolted into the closet.

“What the…?” Rey whispered harshly.

“Just in case it’s Ben,” Phasma quickly muttered.

“What does that matter?” Rey asked in confusion and slight annoyance.

“Get the door!” Phasma hoarsely whispered. Rey shot her a miffed look and went to the door. She opened it a crack and that was all the permission Ben needed to come tramping into the room.

“Are you going to the watch party?” he asked Rey as soon as he was fully inside. Rey glanced confusedly at Ben and then to the closet and then back at Ben.

“Of course,” she responded. “Aren’t you?”

“I don’t think I can go.”

“Why not?”

“Phasma probably doesn’t want me there.”

Rey sighed in exasperation and slumped onto the bed, closing the laptop sitting on it.

“Oh my god, Ben, you’re so full of drama,” she declared. “Phasma wants you there. She wants all her friends there.”

“She’s been avoiding me lately.”

“Because you’re acting so weird around her!” Rey practically yelled. “I don’t know what your deal is but you need to find someone else who will love you the way you want to be loved. That’s not Phasma. Jesus, you’re twenty-eight years old. Stop acting like a middle-schooler.”

“I’m not acting like a middle-schooler,” Ben spat angrily. Rey shot him a skeptical look and Ben backtracked. “All right, fine, I’ve been acting like a middle-schooler, but I can’t seem to get over her. I can’t do this when she’s around.”

“Then she’s doing you a favor by avoiding you,” Rey replied. “Maybe another six months of distance is what you need.”

“Has Phasma been avoiding you?” Ben suddenly asked her. Rey flinched back in shock.

“What? No. Why would she?”

“Because you…” Ben began before stopping his sentence.

“Because I what?” Rey questioned suspiciously. Ben shook his head.

“Never mind.”

“Because I what?” Rey demanded this time.

“It’s nothing.” Ben stated and headed for the door.

“Because why, Ben?” Rey shouted at him.

“Because you love her!” Ben also shouted before slamming the door behind him. Rey gawked at his exit and slowly turned to the closet where Phasma was peeking out.

“What the hell is going on?” Rey asked in the same demanding tone she had just given Ben.

“I’m not sure actually.”

“Really? Because hiding in a closet makes you seem more culpable than you claim to be.”

“I had a talk with Ben a few nights ago. He noticed you have a strong like for me.”

“Well, he’s not wrong, though I can’t say I love the way you worded that. I hope you told him the feeling was mutual.” From the expression Phasma gave, Rey moaned in exasperation and turned her back on her. “Dammit, Phasma…What’s it going to take?”

Phasma launched into a plea. “I swear we’ll tell him soon, but I just need to make sure his blowup doesn’t force Hux to choose between me or Ben since they’re s-…”

“I’m sick of the excuses.” Rey interjected harshly. She turned to face her with frustration in her eyes. “Either you go tell him right now or I’m going to have to consider some distance of our own.”

Phasma felt the force of her words punch deep in her stomach. The wind was knocked out of her. It took a few long seconds for her to say anything.

“Now’s not a good time, Rey,” Phasma pleaded. Rey’s response was to shoot her finger pointedly at the door.

“Go. Tell him or get out.” Rey answered irately. Phasma slunk to the door not knowing which order she was going to take. She felt the door slam behind her as soon as she was through and for a solid minute she stood in the hallway unable to move. There was no typing on the keyboard, no thoughts quickly committed to a hard drive. Only silence followed. Phasma put her ear to the door and could make out muffled cries into a pillow.

“Rey?” Phasma knocked quietly on the door, but there was no answer. She tried the doorknob and found it was locked. “Rey, please let me in,” she begged. Nothing.

Glancing down the hallway, Phasma was alone and she put her mouth near the door.

“Rey. I love you, Rey,” she said louder than she was comfortable with inside a house where three other people were lingering. She expected nothing and she got nothing. She stood outside the door ready to say more but then a loud, distant laugh from Poe floated up the stairs and she was reminded that she might be heard.

She slipped into her room, pacing the floor wondering what to do. For a full half hour she pondered the ramifications of any action she considered. A light click of Rey’s door stirred her to enter the hallway just in time to see Rey headed down the stairs with a back pack on.

“Rey!” Phasma called. “Where are you going?”

Rey briefly turned to look at her, clearly annoyed at having been caught sneaking out. “It’s really none of your business, Phasma.” Rey replied as she descended the stairs.

“Can we talk?” Phasma followed her, but then stopped in her tracks when she entered the kitchen and found Hux there, watching them with a concerned look. Rey took this moment to silently flee, and she was out the door and headed for the bus stop before Phasma could utter any excuses.

“What was that all about?” Hux asked her. Phasma shook her head and didn’t answer.

Defeated and utterly ambivalent, Phasma went sadly to her room and fell onto the bed. It was only ten thirty at night but there was an exhaustion that cohabitated with the immense turmoil of her heart. Electrical tendrils ran down her arms and legs, nipping at her fingers and toes with the bite of her devastation. Her chest heaved with the weight of her cries and she finally fell asleep after hours of intense and torturous heartache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second time I've put Phasma into a military uniform with the cape because I really want that.  
> Also, wtf, Phasma? Y u no reed yo contract?
> 
> The fight routine is a mix of two hallway scenes like those from Oldboy and Daredevil.  
> [Oldboy Hallway Fight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OzB-mop6AA)  
> [Daredevil Hallway Fight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B66feInucFY)
> 
> And there's always the Captain Phasma/Finn fight which also has a one shot, side scroll scene but way shorter and I have plenty of issues with it (like there's no way Finn could defeat her in a fight and he totally got a lucky sucker punch in). It does have that badass cape spin though.  
> [Captain Phasma vs Finn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8J2YwW5kEY)


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phasma tries to repair all the damage she's done. She makes things worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fought me every word of the way. It did not want to be written but I forced it and so I hope it doesn't suck.
> 
> The great news is that Siven Laga made this awesome drawing for the story! It inspired me to make another scene from it so I wrote a snippet in this chapter based on it. It's an interpretation of her drawing that's an interpretation of this story. Interpre-ception. Check out her twitter for more awesome art and more Captain Phasma. Thank you so so so much, Siven Laga! You're awesome and your art actually gave me the motivation I needed to pump out this chapter!
>
>> Reysma "Roomies"s moment. [pic.twitter.com/b7RMiFRBKb](https://t.co/b7RMiFRBKb)
>> 
>> — Captain Oh! my captain (@SivenLaga) [July 28, 2018](https://twitter.com/SivenLaga/status/1023094496718987271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

When Phasma woke up she immediately went to Rey’s room. It was still empty.

She called Rey’s phone twice and texted a lengthy apology but got no reply. She was aware she was in an uncharted realm, having never experienced this point of relationship before in her life. Previous relationships had all been with the intention of ending sooner rather than later.

If there was one thing she learned from Hux’s relationship with Trevor Snoke, it was that it was better to save some face than to fall all over oneself trying to get back with the person who has been hurt. No amount of calling, texts, gifts or showing up unannounced in the middle of the night at Hux’s door had put Trevor back in his previous boyfriend’s good graces. It had served to only push Hux further away.

But she couldn’t just leave it be and wait for Rey to come back. Rey had been waiting for Phasma to do anything for six months and to do nothing was certainly to lose her forever. Phasma couldn’t bear that thought. A new sickness sunk in her throat that Rey would never look at her fondly again. She had to do something and she had to do it now before Rey gave up on her entirely.

And now she was back to the idea of going the route Trevor took. At the time she had mocked Trevor relentlessly for his pathetic and grandiose attempts but she now understood the desperation for redemption. Phasma would do anything to get Rey back. She would get on a loudspeaker on the lot and announce her love for Rey if she thought that would help. Rey frowned on such public airings especially if they were unwanted. She considered them tacky and a clear violation of boundaries.

So with circling thoughts, Phasma had no idea what to do but she was fairly certain she knew where Rey had went to last night. She quickly dressed and ran out the door, making her way to the studio lot in a mad rush.

 

 

Padme Amidala saw Phasma headed purposefully towards her and she grimaced.

“I don’t know what this is about but she is pretty distraught,” Padme told Phasma as soon as they were within earshot.

“What did she tell you?” Phasma asked, wide-eyed that it was that easy to confirm her suspicions.

“Just that you two fought. She wouldn’t say why though.”

“Where is she now?”

“Writer’s block, but she doesn’t want to see you.”

“She told you that?”

“In a way,” Padme answered. “How long have you two been together?”

“I would have thought Rey would have mentioned that.”

“She hasn’t said a damned thing, but it’s a pretty logical conclusion to draw considering she’s all heartbroken,” Padme chastised. “Anyway, are you going to answer my question, or not?”

“Six months.”

“That long?” Padme nearly exclaimed in surprise. “Why keep it a secret?”

Phasma groaned and looked up to the sky in remorse. “Long story.”

“Well, good luck fixing this. I’ve never seen her so pissed off.”

 

 

Phasma went straight to the writer’s block. Rey shared an office with another junior writer and as soon as Phasma popped through the door, the brunette sighed and shook her head.

“I don’t want to talk to you right now,” she said, pushing Phasma back out the door. She tried to close the door in her face but Phasma had already jammed her foot in, giving her about six inches of width to press her face through. Rey’s office mate, Jessika Pava, looked on like witnessing a supernova before her eyes.

“Please, Rey,” Phasma begged, painfully aware she was sounding like Trevor Snoke. “I have to talk to you.”

“About what?” Rey admonished. “What could you possibly say to me that would change anything?”

“I’ll do anything. Just tell me what to do,” Phasma replied quickly, hoping it would assuage Rey’s ire.

“Even if I knew what to tell you, that’s precisely what I don’t want to do,” Rey reprimanded. “If I have to tell you how to fix this then it relieves any effort on your part…again.”

“I want to make it up to you-…”

“It’s too late. You should have done something long ago.”

“I’ll tell everyone I love you if that’s what you want. I’ll scream it on the lot!” Phasma began to choke on her desolation.

“That won’t do any good _now_ ,” Rey replied in irritation. “The only thing people will know about it is that you were a coward about us. Don’t be so pathetic.”

Rey gave one more push and shoved Phasma out the door, slamming it with a solid punctuating finality.

 

 

Phasma felt an eruption of acid in her stomach, whirlwinds of nausea weakening her and reducing her appetite to nothing. Her brain was overwhelmed with half-baked ideas or visions of a future without Rey. She went to her trailer and flopped down on the floor in misery. The tears wouldn’t stop flowing.

A knock on her door stymied her into action. She bolted up and wiped the tears from her eyes, yanking the door open without a thought of how miserable she looked. She had hoped to see Rey but Hux stood motionless as he looked at her in concern.

“Can I come in?” he asked. His eyes darted around her red face and there was no way of hiding her current mood from him. Except for Rey, he was the one person she would accept into her trailer. She grabbed him by the collar and jerked him inside, wrapping her arms around his scrawny body and crying into his shoulder. She figured he would be confused as all hell but he simply patted her back and whispered soothing words.

Hux steered her to the couch and made her sit, all the while comforting her.

“There, there…” he rubbed his palm across her back. “I know it hurts.”

“I don’t know what to dooooooo…” Phasma cried into his shoulder.

“What does Rey say about it?” Hux asked. Phasma stopped convulsing with anguish long enough to glance up at him suspiciously.

“What do you mean?” she replied, wiping a tear from her cheek with a wide streak of her palm.

“Rey,” Hux repeated. “I take it you went to see her in her office, right? Because if not, that’s your first step.”

Phasma scooted a few inches away from him to look into his eyes more clearly. He stared back in concern.

“You know about us?” she asked.

“Of course, I do,” Hux smirked. “I don’t know why you would think you could hide your relationship from me when you work on the lot and live in my house.”

“Wait a minute…” Phasma looked to the floor in thought. “How long have you known?”

“A year maybe?” he replied.

“Rey and I haven’t been together a year.”

“Well, I saw you two sparring with your farm staffs out in the backyard when we had that pool party for Rey’s birthday. She knocked you down and got on top of you and it looked like you were going to make out so I left. Lucky for you I did because Ben was coming over and it gave me enough time to warn you.”

“You’ve known that long?” Phasma exclaimed. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why didn’t you? I don’t know why you didn’t tell me about it but I figured it was a good enough reason so I didn’t ask about your clandestine affair.”

“Probably the same reason you didn’t tell me about _your_  clandestine affair, hm?”

Hux shied his face away in shame. “That’s totally different.”

“How is that any different?”

“Oh, please. Don’t tell me you weren’t disappointed when you found out.”

“Hey, whatever you guys are up to is not for me to judge,” Phasma said, placing her hands on his shoulders and holding him at arm’s length for Hux to see she was not criticizing him. He breathed out in relief.

“I’m really glad to hear that,” he replied. “I thought for sure you would try to talk me out of it.”

“Of course not,” Phasma assured. “I think it’s a little odd but you’re a big boy and capable of thinking through your decisions.”

“Exactly!” Hux exclaimed. “Thank you. And we can talk about Trevor later but right now I don’t want to take away from your-…”

“Trevor?” Phasma questioned. “Trevor Snoke? What about hi-…Oh, my god! YOU’RE SHACKING UP WITH TREVOR SNOKE?”

“What the…? Who did y-…?”

“Are you fucking insane? That guy is a total piece of shit!”

“What the hell, Phasma? This is why I didn’t tell you in the first place!”

“Why Trevor? There are so many other guys you could be banging.”

“Which brings me back to the question: who did you think I was with?”

“Ben! I thought it was Ben.”

“Ben? How much brain damage have you suffered? Ben’s not even gay.”

“He’s a little gay.”

“He dated a pre-op woman! That’s not gay.”

“It’s a little gay.”

“You have no room to make judgments, Phas! I can’t believe you thought I was sleeping with Ben. God, you can be so naive.”

“I’m not naive,” Phasma stressed irritably.

“Says the woman who just imploded her relationship,” Hux sneered. It cut right through Phasma, her heart sliced in two by his words.

“You don’t know that…” she managed to mutter after a few stilted seconds. But he was right, of course. Phasma couldn’t contain her agony. She made a pathetic wail and Hux drew her to his shoulder again, patting her back consolingly.

“There, there…” he responded. “That wasn’t okay for me to say. I’m sorry I said that.”

“No, it’s all my fault!” Phasma cried. “I did this. Rey will never love me again and I don’t blame her.” she wiped a tear from her eye with a far away look. Suddenly her eyes were dark and focused as she whipped her head to look into Hux’s eyes. “Wait a minute. You said you’d never take Trevor back.”

“Let’s not get into this right now,” Hux declared. “I don’t want to argue about it when you’re already upset.”

“No, that’s not…What I mean to say…” Phasma stuttered, shaking her head. “Tell me how he got you back.”

“Well, for starters, were not really back together. We’re just…you know…”

“But still, you said you were done with him forever. You said you hated him. How did that change?”

“I guess time heals all wounds,” Hux shrugged.

“That’s it? Time?”

“That and he was nice.”

“Wait, what? That’s it? He was _nice_? Actually, that doesn’t sound like Trevor at all so I can see why you would fall for that.”

“Listen, you’re looking for a way to get Rey back but our relationships are two different things and what will work for Trevor probably won’t work for you,” Hux explained. “Trevor made every effort to be kind without expecting anything. He admitted to hitting rock bottom and at the end of the day, all he could think about was that he just genuinely wanted me to be happy. You can’t be anymore n-…”

Phasma snapped her fingers and smiled triumphantly.

“Yes!” she shouted into the air. “You’re right!”

“Are you even listening?”

“I _do_  want Rey to be happy! I want everyone to be happy! It’s about time I did something about that.”

“Whatever it is, just don’t expect her to fall back to your side.”

“I don’t expect that at all,” Phasma answered as she glanced in the mirror, making sure she looked reasonably normal before grabbing her silver jacket and her keys.

“Then what are you expecting?”

“Hopefully the best.” And with that, Phasma was out the door.

 

 

Phasma was back in Rey’s office in less than five minutes.

“Phasma,” Rey began. “I really don’t want-…”

“I’m going to tell him,” Phasma interjected. “I’m going to my car, I’m driving to the airfield and I’m telling him right now. You can either come with me or stay here but I wanted to let you know it’s happening.”

“What?” Rey exclaimed. “Now? Like this?”

“Yes, like this,” Phasma answered. “Coming?”

Rey sat frozen in her chair, unable to reply out of stupor. Phasma turned and left and Rey finally tumbled out of her office, scampering behind Phasma as she caught up with the blonde.

“This isn’t what I was expecting,” Rey remarked. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s a good idea anymore.”

“I know how this looks, Rey,” Phasma acknowledged. “You think I’m doing this to win you back, and yes, I do hope this renews our relationship, but I see now how I’ve been holding everyone back this entire time. Regardless of what happens to us, he needs to be told.”

“Is this really why you’re doing this? It has nothing to do with us?”

“It has nothing to do with us. It has everything to do with you and Ben. I want you both to be happy,” Phasma responded as they entered the parking lot.

“This won’t make either of us happy, you know.”

“No, you’re right. Not at first.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” Rey said as she slowed her walk towards the car. “I haven’t thought enough about it, and besides, he doesn’t know we’re coming.”

“I called him right before I came and got you,” Phasma responded as she drew out her key fob and unlocked the door to her car.

“Dammit, Phasma…” Rey sighed nervously.

“Are you coming with me?” Phasma asked, opening the driver’s side door. Rey stood next to the car giving Phasma a forlorn look.

 

 

“I’m surprised you called,” Ben said as he met Phasma and Rey outside the large radar building on the airfield. He wore his tech jumpsuit and a pair of plastic eyewear that she had never seen on him before. “What’s so important you had to talk to me right now?”

“We’re about to tell you something that we should have told you a long time ago,” Phasma replied. Rey stood near her side but it was clear she was more than a little anxious.

“Ooookay…” Ben eyed her skeptically.

“But I want you to know that it’s coming from the heart,” Phasma added.

“Shit, Phasma,” Ben responded with a hefty sigh. “Is this going to hurt?”

“Probably,” Phasma answered. “Ben, I love you.”

“Oh,” Ben replied in slight surprise.

“But I’ll never be in love with you.”

“Oh,” he muttered flatly.

“I’m in love with Rey,” Phasma declared.

There was a slight drop to his jaw as he stared first at her in bewilderment then turned to look at Rey. Rey stood slightly behind Phasma with her head angled down in guilt though her eyes were switching between Phasma and Ben repeatedly. Phasma waited for him to say anything but he simply stood in mute discombobulation. After a few silent seconds, Phasma continued.

“I’m telling you this because I was an asshole and wanted to come clean. Rey wanted to tell you about our relationship but I didn’t think you could handle it.”

“Hold on, you and Rey…you guys are together?”

“Yes, for six months,” Phasma answered.

“I’m so sorry, Ben,” Rey said in a hushed voice.

“Six months?” Ben replied in disbelief.

“I know,” Rey said, her voice catching in her throat. “We should have told you long ago.”

“It’s not your fault, Rey,” Phasma responded before turning to Ben. “I didn’t tell you the truth because I was scared. I thought you would go crazy if you found out. I should have done something long ago. Longer than six months ago. Long before I even met Rey.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Ben sniped. Phasma stepped closer and took a deep breath.

“This job of yours, Ben? It’s not right for you. Your frame of mind? It’s still not in a good place. This friendship?” She pointed to him and then to herself in a back-and-forth. “It isn’t working.”

Ben staggered back in surprise. It took him a moment to catch himself. Even Rey seemed put off.

“I hope you’ll understand when I tell you that I feel like you’re ambushing me right now,” Ben remarked, biting back his rising anger.

“I was trying to figure out how to tell you all this on the way here but I thought you’d probably respond better if I didn’t coddle you anymore.”

“I don’t know about that. You could have maybe been a little more tactful.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been treating you like a porcelain figure for so long that I over-corrected.”

“Are you trying to rip apart my feelings on purpose?” He crossed his arms and scowled down at the ground.

“Listen to me, Ben,” she grabbed his shoulders and made him face her. “You’re not fragile. You’re not weak. I’ve been doing you a disservice this whole time by thinking you would curl up like a wilted flower if anything didn’t go your way.”

“Oh, I’m upset about that, for sure,” Ben spat.

“I know you are and it’s entirely my fault that it went on for as long as it did.”

“You’ve been pushing me away for a while. It just feels like now you’re finally kicking me out of your life.” He wrenched her grip off his shoulders and took a step back.

“Other way around, Ben,” Phasma replied. “I’m kicking me out of your life. I’m going to move out of the house for your sake. You’re better off without me to drag you down. You need freedom and adventure. You need-…”

“Don’t tell me what I need, Phasma!” Ben shouted. He tightened his fists angrily, making the striations of his forearms ripple.

“Ben, I swear to you that I’m just trying to-…”

“I don’t want anymore of your bullshit!” he declared as he began to stomp back to the door of the radar building.

“I’ve seen you at your best, Ben!” Phasma shouted to him. “You’re an amazing person! You have to know that!”

Ben suddenly stopped and spun around. He came over to where Rey stood next to Phasma, eyeing his cousin accusingly.

“Are you in love with her?” he asked, pointing at Phasma. Rey paused for a moment before looking up at Phasma and then nodding her head.

Ben huffed a long drawn out sigh out his nose. Without a word he turned to the building, yanked the door open and stormed in.

 

 

That had gone basically as well as Phasma had thought it would. In her heart she had hoped Ben would take a few seconds to consider everything and then decide he was okay with the idea that Phasma and Rey had a relationship behind his back, but all things considered, how else was he really supposed to have taken it? They drove in pensive silence back to the lot. At one point Phasma reached over to pat Rey’s hand but Rey pulled away.

“Are you really moving out?” Rey asked. Phasma nodded her head.

“Yes. Ben needs space. And you, well, I want to do things right this time.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to start over. No more secrets,” Phasma answered. Rey looked at her with confusion. “So, are-…are we okay?”

“After that? After what took six months for you to do and only after I threatened to leave you? I don’t know.”

Phasma lowered her head and drove on in rising misery.

“Was that the right thing to do?” Rey asked as she stared out the window. Phasma wanted to assure her that it was but she really didn’t know. While the stress of lying was gone, it would take a while for Phasma to know if her efforts had succeeded.

“Rey,” Phasma began. “What I want most right now is for you to be happy.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.”

“Ben will be okay.”

“You better be right. I don’t think I could look at you if something were to happen to him.” Rey took out her phone and began texting Ben. Phasma felt a new viciousness in her stomach, an anxiety that would most likely remain until something good came along.

 

As soon as they were back on the lot, Phasma hopped out of the car and came around to Rey.

“Are you coming to the watch party tonight?” she asked, hoping her desperation wasn’t so obvious.

“I’m not sure,” Rey answered, her eyes darted everywhere but at Phasma. “I’ll let you know later. I gotta go back to work.”

“Hey, before you leave, I just need you to know that I’m sorry.”

“Phasma…” Rey groaned.

“Please, Rey, I have never regretted anything more in my life than losing you. I’m not sure where we’re at. Is there hope for us? Will you be able to forgive me or did I fuck up too much?”

“I don’t know, Phasma,” Rey sighed. “I wish I had an answer for you but I don’t.”

“You told Ben you’re in love with me.”

“I did. And I meant it. But that doesn’t mean you’re magically forgiven.”

“Please, Rey,” Phasma began to plead, feeling her anxiety rise. “I don’t know whether to beg you to give me another chance or give you some space for fear of harassing you. I don’t want you to think I don’t care but I don’t want to push you away either.”

“Please don’t beg. You know how I hate that.”

“I won’t then,” Phasma replied, looking down to the ground and peeking up at Rey from underneath her eyelashes. “But you have to know that I need you. There’s no one else I want more than you.”

“I have to go back to work,” Rey said again, though her eyes began to tear up and her cheeks brightened red. She turned her back on Phasma, concealing her face before heading back to the writer’s block.

“I’ll do anything to get you back,” Phasma said, lining her walk with Rey’s. “Anything, just name it.”

“You’ve already done enough,” Rey responded, quickening her step. “Please just leave me alone so I can think.”

“Yes, okay, I understand,” Phasma answered. “But if you come back, I’ll do everything to keep you. I’ll be the one to pursue you. I’ll send you flowers and write you love letters and tell everyone that you’re with me. I want to do everything right this time.”

“Please stop begging,” Rey remarked in visible irritation. “I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, but-…”

“Phasma, stop following me.”

“I just w-…”

“Phasma…” Rey stopped suddenly and drew in a long breath in an attempt to calm herself.

Phasma felt a panic that caused her to envelope Rey from behind and draw her into a firm embrace. Rey stood still but did not reciprocate.

“Rey,” Phasma said as she kissed the back of Rey’s neck. “I love you, Rey.”

Rey wrestled out of her grasp and began walking back to the writer’s block.

“I need time, Phasma,” Rey called back in frustration. “Just give me some time and space, all right?” And without waiting for an answer, Rey was gone.

 

 

Once again, Phasma found herself flopped onto the floor of her trailer. She really wished she had made herself slow down before embarking on her idea. She just wanted everyone to be happy. Was that really so much to ask? And now Rey was still mad and Ben was potentially worse off. Did that work? Time would tell but right now it meandered with the speed of molasses.

A pounding on her door pulled her out of her melancholy thoughts.

“Phasma!” one of the PA’s called. “You’re needed on set!”

“Shit…” She didn’t even have her uniform on. “Be right there!” she called back, grateful to have a helmet to hide her swollen face.

 

 

That evening, with fifteen minutes before the premiere of the latest episode of Outland Base, the entire crew and many of the upper level management were seated in the theater. Considering they had a copy of the episode on hand, there was no reason to watch at the same pace as the rest of the nation.

As soon as Phasma arrived, Hux grabbed her and hustled her to an isolated area in the back of the stage.

“I just got a really cryptic text from Ben,” Hux sniped. “He says he’s sorry. That’s it. Just that he’s sorry. I’ve tried calling him five times but it goes straight to voicemail. Did he send a text to you?”

“No. I’m probably the reason he sent that,” Phasma replied. “And also, I hate to do this to you but I have to move out. I’ll continue paying rent until you get another roommate.”

Hux’s mouth dropped open and his eyes bugged out in response. It took him a full five seconds to snap his jaw shut and point at her accusingly.

“You told him about Rey!” Hux cried out. “Why would you do that? That won’t get Rey back, you know!”

“I didn’t say it would or that I did it to get her back,” Phasma remarked casually. “I just thought he should know.”

“Where was this attitude six months ago when it mattered?” Hux tossed his arms in the air exasperatedly. “At this point, you’re just alienating everyone!”

“I’m really hoping my honest confrontations will actually break us out of our comfort zones. We need to get out of them. Neither of us has grown up past college,” Phasma declared. Hux stared hard at her in disbelief.

“Who the hell are you to say we should do anything?” he exclaimed. “I’m fine with where I am. Just because you’re the one who got her heart broken doesn’t mean you have to go around trying to ‘fix’ everyone including their perspectives.”

“I’m not trying to fix anything…”

“Don’t give me your bullshit, Phasma. You’re in your determined mode. I could see it when you left your trailer this morning.”

“Okay, fine, I _am_  trying to fix things, but I’m pretty sure I’m seeing things clearly for once and we all need a good kick in the pants.”

“All of us? For what? What possible reason would you think I need?”

The curtain drew back enough for Brendol to stride in with his permanent indomitable expression.

“There you are,” he said as he looked from one to the other. “We’re about to start. Better get in your seats.” He then did a double take as he noted they were both red in the face and clearly upset. “What’s going on here? What are you two going on about?”

Hux was about to say something when Phasma interjected.

“I got dumped,” she replied. Brendol’s eyes went wide and he stared at her in slight disbelief.

“ _You_  got _dumped_?” he answered. “Why would anyone break it off with you? I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.”

“It was a secret affair. I was too scared to reveal it, which is why I got dumped,” she responded. Brendol furrowed his brow and shook his head in disappointment.

“Secret affairs are a waste of time, Captain. Now you know not to dabble with a married man.”

“It wasn’t a man,” Phasma replied. “And she wasn’t married.”

Phasma had never seen Brendol caught so off guard. He flustered enough to take a step back with a hand over his chest like he was going to faint. Before he could say anything, Phasma grabbed Hux by the arm and was leading them away from Brendol.

“I knew you’d be upset by that, Brendol,” she told him as they passed by. “I look up to you as a father and your reaction is hurtful. It's already hard enough that I have to deal with the breakup.”

She took them to their seats in the theater, barely saying hello as they passed by friends and colleagues who sat on either side of them. Hux was silent for a while until he leaned over and whispered into her ear.

“There was no point in telling him you’re bisexual, but I get what you’re trying to do.”

“I was actually implying I’m gay and I hope that exchange opens his eyes to modern sexuality or I just destroyed my relationship with your family forever,” she whispered back.

“Mother will welcome you in though you’re bargaining on a man who rarely changes his mind, especially on matters of morals.”

“I’m hoping time will heal all wounds.”

“Don’t think you’re off the hook. I don’t know what’s going on with you but you seem to be trying to destroy every relationship you have,” Hux chastised, crossing his arms and leaning back into his seat.

“I will answer for everything, Huxie,” she replied arrogantly. “And for once I’m not being selfish. I did it for you.”

Hux didn’t know whether to be grateful or not so he continued to sit back and glance away in thought.

The audience clapped when Brendol made his entrance at the front of the stage. He announced the importance of the episode, noting it had potential for awards in categories including best writing, best choreography, best directing and best effects. He congratulated everyone on their effort in making the episode and wished them luck in the future. There was no mention of Phasma.

The lights dimmed and the show began. Phasma could barely watch, her thoughts were about Rey every second.

 

The Outland base crew managed to infiltrate Captain Phasma’s Star Destroyer. Pumping sleeping gas through the ventilation of the ship, most of the enemy troopers were knocked out and lying on the floor. Once the air was breathable, a squadron of outland base soldiers ran through the interior, headed for the bridge when a partition down the long hall opened up and Captain Phasma walked through.

“How is he still awake?” one of the soldiers questioned. It was loud enough for the Captain to hear as he tapped the temple of his chrome helmet.

“Non-standard toxin filters,” the Captain’s robotic voice emulated through the din of the corridor.

The soldiers held their fire, hoping to capture the villain. After all, there were thirty of them and only one Captain Phasma.

“Surrender now and you will live!” another brave soldier shouted. The Captain laughed and brandished his quicksilver staff then took a step towards them.

The soldiers bunched together like a school of fish and the Captain moved through them, a shark attacking prey. With powerful strikes of the staff, Captain Phasma at first fought off the attackers in relative ease, but he had underestimated the strength of the squadron and the chrome trooper’s energy visibly wavered after several minutes.

One of the soldiers retrieved a riot baton from a sleeping storm trooper. He notched the baton to full stun and handed it to the biggest man on the squad. As the Captain spun around to face three other soldiers, the heavy raised the baton in the air and swung it towards the Captain in full force.

The Captain managed to duck the powerful strike but the baton rammed into an electrical unit and a low level explosion erupted around them, sending the Captain and the surrounding soldiers flying through the air. Captain Phasma pounded into the hard floor and a few of the soldiers struck him with batons and maces while he was down. A lucky hit pummeled the underside of the chrome helmet, causing it to fly off and land onto the floor, skidding down the corridor till it came to a stop at the feet of another school of soldiers.

They all turned to look and silent astonishment spoke for them.

The Captain was bleeding from a gash just under her right eye. She touched it with a black glove and glanced at it, furrowing her brow in anger at the realization someone had managed to draw blood. Blue eyes flicked over at the nearest soldier and he jumped back in alarm, dropping his baton.

In a flash the Captain was up again. Before she was fully up off the floor she had her fingers wrapped tightly into the neck of the soldier. He squirmed as the Captain hoisted him off his feet and threw him into the others, too stunned to react.

The squadron was still twenty full and they all countered at once. Captain Phasma yanked a mace out of the hands of one of them and proceeded to beat the ever-loving shit out of them all. Through short bursts of adrenaline, the Captain battered the soldiers, pausing every once in a while against the wall to take a breath while the remaining soldiers advanced towards her with trepid steps. Once they were close enough she would come to life again, blocking, kicking or jabbing with swift speed.

There were men strewn out all over the floor by the time the Captain punched her fist into the face of the last standing soldier. Dripping blood and clenching a hand to her side, Captain Phasma limped towards the turbolift in exhaustion. Waiting for the lift, she bent over and picked up her fallen helmet. Once the doors opened, she walked inside, placing her helmet over her head with a painful sluggishness. The doors closed on her and panned out to the corridor littered with broken bodies.

 

 

_Holy shit! #CaptainPhasma just fucked those guys up!_

_Rooting for the bad guy #OutlandBase #VillainsAreSexy_

_Called it. #CaptainPhasmaIsAWoman_

_Beast mode activated! #BestFightSceneEver #OutlandBase_

_Straight woman chiming in #GayForCaptainPhasma_

_Turns out I was straight all along #CaptainPhasmaIsHot_

_Worst Episode Ever #OutlandBase_

_It was all true! Eat it, moderator. #ComicCon #OutlandBase_

_#CaptainPhasma is smokin’ hot!_

_Did I watch the same episode? It was trash. Fight scene good though #OutlandBase_

_#Daredevil did it better #CorridorFight #OutlandBase_

_Omg, I’m in love!!!!1!! #CaptainPhasma_

_#CaptainPhasma can wrestle me in a corridor anytime #GayForCaptainPhasma_

 

 

The media feeds slipped by unnoticed in the background. The trends had been transmitted onto the screens in the theater lobby while the crew congratulated themselves on a job well done. Phasma looked around for Rey, Ben or Brendol but they were not in attendance. Hux came up beside her and grabbed her arm, giving her a sympathetic look.

“C’mon, let’s go.”

They left Phasma’s car on the lot and Hux drove them back to the house. The first thing they did was to go looking for Ben. They knocked on his door but there was no response. Hux opened the door and both he and Phasma stared into the room. It was completely barren.


	18. The Past is Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As if things could not get any worse for Phasma, she finds that they can.  
> Luckily, the tide is turning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up. This chapter is kind of dark. It didn't start out that way but I took it down a dark tunnel and decided not to bring a torch. Just be aware for all those triggered by mentions of death and/or suicide.
> 
> I also intended to make this the last chapter before the epilogue but this one turned out to be so long that I had to split it up. So that might be why it feels stunted. One chapter and an epilogue left till we finally get to the end here.
> 
> On a lighter note, if anyone read Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson, I would put money down that she used the likeness of [this man](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322407/) to portray Brendol Hux, and so am I. It helps that he is the real life father of [this man](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1727304/?ref_=nv_sr_1).

Rey was still staying with Padme, who happened to live in a much too large house for just one woman. Padme assured her that she was welcome indefinitely though Rey promised she would leave as soon as she was over Phasma.

After all, time heals all wounds.

Perhaps that was true, but there didn’t seem to be enough time in the world. After four weeks, Rey couldn’t look at blond hair without feeling her heart rip in two. An accidental glimpse of Phasma on the lot made her shake uncontrollably. The blonde barista at the coffee shop caused her to consciously breath in and out in restraint. The manicured, blond dog at the park made her roll her eyes and curse herself for letting anything and everything remind her of her ex-girlfriend. She just couldn’t stop thinking of her.

To Phasma’s credit, she was giving Rey what she had asked for. Time and space. Any moment Rey and Phasma happened to make eye contact across the lot, Rey could see that the blonde was using every ounce of self control not to disobey that request. It was in the expression of her arched brows, the pleading eyes as Phasma glanced carefully at Rey, searching for a hint of lenience, and then the dejected glance away accompanied by hard swallows when there was nothing but determined willfulness from the brunette. Afterwards, when Rey was alone, she would find herself out of breath, having been tensed too long keeping up the strong facade when all she wanted to do was run. There was no denying that she longed for Phasma, loved her more than anything, but the doubt was still there.

It was important to her not to think about Phasma all the time so Rey avoided her as much as possible and kept extremely busy. She bought a new car because she figured it was time. She would work on her scripts, go for a drive, work, write, watch mindless television, write, hang out with friends, work, write, go for a drive, write, tell herself not to think about Phasma, write, drive, work, write, drive, write, write, and write.

31 days and the pain was just as fresh as the night Phasma had not openly claimed their love. 31 days since Phasma had panicked and for the wrong reason told Ben about their relationship. 31 days since Rey began to wonder if Phasma was simply a woman she had idealized and not some person with more hidden emotional baggage than she could put up with. 31 days. It was not long but she had thought the agony of a shredded heart would at least begin to heal by now. If anything, the wound spread worse.

 

After another near sleepless night, Rey arrived on the lot on a Monday morning and headed for the writer’s block. A revving motorcycle caused her to look in the direction of the noise and there she was; golden hair, wearing the silver motorcycle jacket from _that_ day. Phasma had not actually seen her. She was astride the motorcycle, taking in direction from Krennic.

It was unavoidable. The vision of Phasma forced Rey’s thoughts to the day Phasma took her to the basin. Riding through the mountains, hands wrapped tightly around her midsection, picnicking on the grass, wading in the warm waters, making love under the afternoon sun. Rey felt her mind sink into the memory. The greatest day of her life…

She was nearly knocked down by a PA, too in a hurry to watch where he was going. He had managed to clip the scripts she carried out of her hand.

“Oh, shit!” he exclaimed as he bent down to retrieve them. “I didn’t see you. Sorry about that.”

Without a word, Rey was knelt on the ground, blushing and averting her eyes for some unknown reason, even to herself. She quickly glanced in Phasma’s direction and felt a heat along her collar when she noted that she and Krennic were looking in her direction. She immediately turned back to the scripts, embarrassed that the commotion had been loud enough for them to hear.

“Are you okay?” the PA asked in concern.

_No_

“Yeah. Fine.” Rey managed to mutter as she grabbed her things and shuffled away. She walked hurriedly through the halls, leaped up three flights of stairs and entered her office, shutting the door harder than she had intended. Her office mate turned in her chair to shoot her a look of annoyance.

“For cryin’ out loud, Rey,” Jessika lightly scowled. “I’m sure everyone in the building knows you’re here now.”

“Sorry,” Rey mumbled as she went to her desk. She kept her face concealed all the way until she slumped down in her chair.

“If this is still about Phasma, I might need you to make a decision pretty damned soon here,” Jessika told her. “You’re not doing her any favors by keeping her in limbo either, you know.”

“I-…ugh…” Rey sighed, slouching over her keyboard. “She-… I-… Dammit. What am I supposed to do? God, I’m so confused.”

“So you’ve been saying for the past month,” Jessika replied sternly. Rey slouched even further, this time setting her elbows on her desk and leaning her head into her hands. Instant regret brought Jessika to get up from her chair, step over to Rey and place an understanding hand on her shoulder. “Listen, I know it’s hard and, well, I know it’s not my place to say so, and I certainly don’t know Phasma like you do, but for what it’s worth, she’s a good person and I think she deserves a second chance.”

If Padme hadn’t given her this exact same conversation yesterday, and Anakin the day before, she might have taken it more to heart. Right now it was just starting to feel like a broken record or some sort of conspiracy to get the two of them back together.

“So goddamn confusing…” was all Rey could muster because at the moment, after seeing Phasma, and now talking about Phasma, there was hardly enough room to breath, much less speak due to the painful swelling in her chest.

Jessika gave her a few pats on her back and left her to her thoughts. She was courteous enough to give Rey the office to herself as she slipped out the door in near silence.

There was nothing left to inhibit Rey. A gasp of a wail slipped from her throat and she settled her head down on her desk, hoping her tears wouldn’t somehow short circuit her keyboard. How she hated these moments. They did not come less frequently the more time elapsed.

It occurred to her that she had to somehow get it together because she had written the latest episode of Outland Base and the table read was after lunch in four hours. She would have no choice but to face Phasma today. How was she going to be able to maintain her fractured composure? How was she going to hide her feelings when they were breaking so close to the surface?

Two chirps from her phone alerted her to an incoming text message. Her stomach churned in conflict every time she heard the alert. She wanted it to be Phasma. Wanted that so desperately. But at the same time worried that it was her. She needed more time and a message from Phasma now would only serve to confuse her more. With shaking hands, she retrieved her phone from her bag.

 

_Ben: Hello, cousin. Call me when you can._

 

Rey practically dropped her phone at the sight of his name. Ben had gone missing since the day Phasma told him about their relationship. With only a note saying he went to find himself and not to contact him, no one had heard from or of him since. She couldn’t press the call button fast enough. He answered on the first ring.

“Rey!”

“Ben! Where the fuck are you?” Rey couldn’t stop herself from exclaiming. “Aunt Leia is going crazy!”

“I just called dad. They know I’m safe. I wanted to call you too.”

“God, Ben, I have been thinking about what I would say to you for the past four weeks. I have been so sick with worry and, oh god, I am so sorry about everything! I am so sorry! I wanted to tell you but looking back, I just shouldn’t have been with Phasma at all. Not without you knowing. I should have handled myself better. I don’t know what came over me! This is entirely my fault and I hate that I drove you away. I want you to come back. I miss you.”

Once she began, Rey found she could not rein herself in. The words spilled out of her like a broken dam despite the sporadic interjections from Ben repeating ‘Rey, hold on’ and ‘it’s all right’.

“Just please come home, Ben,” Rey pleaded. “I don’t want you to hurt anymore.”

“But that’s just it, Rey. I’m not,” Ben replied in a calm tone. Rey paused for a solid moment, not understanding.

“Not coming home or not hurting?”

“Yes. Both.” Ben was not sounding like himself. It was his voice but there was no hint of bitterness or melancholy. He seemed…content.

“What’s going on?” Rey asked, not wanting to sound suspicious but failing at it.

“I’m fine, Rey. Really, I am.”

“Where are you?”

“Tattooine. I needed to be alone so I went camping in the wilderness.”

“You’re not coming home?”

“No. At least, not yet. Are you and Phasma together?”

“Never mind about Phasma,” Rey replied, not wanting to get into that with him. She was surprised he had even mentioned it. “It’s complicated.”

“Don’t let it be. She loves you, you know.”

Rey could not have been more confused. Was this really Ben? Did he die and this was a mystic phone call from beyond the grave? There was a strange high pitched sound in the background that grew in decibels.

“Are you really in Tatooine?”

“Of course. I found a job out here about two weeks ago. You’re not going to believe this, but I’m a Podracer now.”

“You’re a Podracer?” Rey bellowed in shock. “How did-…? But you don’t have a-… Where did you get the money for a repulsorcraft?”

“I won it.”

“Holy hell, Ben, tell me _everything_.”

“I’ll have to tell you the story when I have more time but right now I’m between races. The engines are heating up as we speak.” Rey was finally able to recognize the whine of the engines in the background as he stood away from the starting line to make his call. “I just wanted you to know that I love you and that I’m not angry at all. Phasma was right.” And Ben gave a light chuckle. “She gave me the kick in the ass I needed. I hated my job. I hated my life. Phasma forced me to see that I could find something better. She was right all along.”

“Are you going to call her next?”

“No, I can’t. I now know that she and I were never meant to be, and while I’m over the idea of her, I don’t think I can talk to her for a while. I was hoping you would let her know.”

“Actually, I’m not talking to Phasma either.”

“Why not?”

“Seriously? She kept our relationship secret for months. She went on a fixing rampage that managed to alienate a lot of people including me and the only father figure in her life. Not to mention the nerve of her to face you like that, needlessly disclosing everything for all the wrong reasons.”

“I’ll admit, she could have used a little more tact,” Ben responded with a noticeable affability, “but I don’t think she did it for the wrong reasons at all. Phasma doesn’t have a lot of emotional courage, so when she shows it, it’s most likely genuine. I am one hundred percent sure she did it because she thought it would somehow spur everyone in the direction they needed to go.”

“Yeah… even though I don’t doubt that’s true, that’s not really her call to make.”

“Why not? She wants the best for her friends. She sees we’re not getting it. Why shouldn’t she speak her mind?”

“As I recall, it wasn’t so much speaking her mind than going about making ridiculous decisions without conside-…”

“Everything she did, she did to herself,” Ben defended. The engines were now at full power. She could barely hear him over the roar. “Hux told me she came out to Brendol. She didn’t out Hux. She’s opening Brendol’s mind in her own way.”

“Yeah, but-…”

“She wants the best for you. I bet she’s doing everything you tell her to do. I bet she’s careful not to cross your boundaries.”

“Well, obviously, because those are the boundaries she respects but that doesn’t mean-…”

“I know Phasma fully intended to break from my life if I hadn’t ran away. She could see it was doing me no good to linger on my feelings.”

“Are you sure she did that for you?”

“I know so. She had faith in me, Rey. Don’t you see? She knew I would figure it out; and I did. I have never been so sure of anything until now. This is the life I want and I would still be at the house, unhappy and depressed if it wasn’t for Phasma. She could not have been more right.”

“Please come home, Ben.” The engines were deafening by now. She could just make out the loudspeaker calling out the racers’ names.

“Talk to her. Let her make amends,” Ben shouted above the noise.

“Come home, Ben!”

“Be good, Rebel Scavenger! I want the best for you!”

The announcer at the speedway was suddenly very clear. “…And in the the number 7 repulsorcraft… piloted by our newest rookie… undefeated overnight Podracing phenomenon… Kyyyyyyyyyyylo Rrrrrrrrren!”

A burst from the crowd made it almost impossible to hear Ben’s last words.

“She loves you!”

The call was cut off and Rey sat in stunned silence, staring at her phone, in the solitude of her deathly quiet office.

An entire minute passed by where all she could do was stare at her phone and wonder what the hell had just happened. This was something new to reflect on, and when that occurred, there was only one thing that could ever satiate her thoughts. She powered up her computer and clicked into her writing application.

There was no time to write a word. A loud commotion outside distracted her enough to get out of her chair and look out the window. Whatever was happening was too far to the left to see, but there were enough people running over to what sounded like an intense argument for it to be anything normal. She was immediately stymied into action as soon as she saw Armitage and Brendol Hux race past in an electric golf cart down below, high tailing towards the clamor with red, determined expressions on both their faces.

 

 

“What if you jumped off in mid-air?”

Krennic was making motions with his hands, indicating how high Phasma should be up off the ground before abandoning her motorcycle to the wind.

“I think it’s doable but I’ll need to practice that maneuver,” she explained as she straddled the massively powered speederbike and rocked on it in an attempt to test the shocks. “The biggest challenge is not breaking a leg if it lands on me.”

“Don’t let it land on you then. You’ve increased in value ten fold in the last few weeks and the studio would murder me if that were to happen.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll just not break a leg then.”

“Good idea,” Krennic agreed, appearing to have missed her sarcasm. “You should have enough leeway to avoid the pyrotechnics at the end of the drag, but just in case, we’re going to have to put you in a lot of heavy fire retardant apparel and smear on the thermogel.”

“I have a hard time controlling the motorcycle with gel all over me,” Phasma replied, looking at her left hand as if it had already been applied. She then pulled the throttle with her right hand and gave the engine a single rev that sliced through the air with an ear-splitting thunder. It was loud, deep and reverberated through her like an earthquake. “And with a bike this big, we should really forgo anything that would cause slippage.”

“Mmm…that’s not really an option,” Krennic responded, though he was polite enough to put a hand to his chin as if considering it. “If something were to happen, our insurance might not cover you because we didn’t take the proper precautions.”

A small commotion occurred a little ways off behind Krennic that caused them both to turn to the source. Phasma nearly gasped aloud when she saw that it was Rey. The brunette was on her hands and knees picking up papers that had been strewn on the ground, presumably knocked from her hand by the overly-apologetic PA.

Phasma tried hard but she couldn’t wrench her gaze from Rey. It was looking at a ray of sunshine after so many days of rain. It always took her by surprise how much more beautiful Rey was in person than in her memories. Her mind refused to believe she wasn’t romanticizing Rey’s attractiveness.

The briefest of glimpses in her direction caused Phasma’s heart to jolt out of her chest. Though Rey was far away, she could see that she was flustered and uneven. So very unlike Rey. In her eagerness to interact with her ex-girlfriend, she grasped the opportunity to send a discreet communication to her, trying quick to make a decision on her approach; maybe a small wave of the hand or a gentle nod of the head. Would Rey accept a call of her name to see if she needed any help?

She was not fast enough and disappointment slapped at her for missing the opportunity. Rey was already on her way into the building and Phasma watched her stumble hurriedly away like she was late for a meeting. Her melancholy hit her hard, punching her straight in the gut to know that Rey was still actively avoiding her.

After that, nothing could bring Phasma back to her task at hand. Krennic, completely oblivious to Phasma’s attention deficit, carried on with the conversation, never realizing it was now one-sided. Suddenly Krennic was no longer by her side, already having moved on to other responsibilities, and Phasma hadn’t even noticed.

It was a desperate attempt and always unsuccessful when she tried to think of anything but Rey. If it wasn’t for Hux, Phasma didn’t think she would have survived her first week without her. The house was mostly empty now that Poe had moved out, Ben had disappeared and Rey was taking time away. With only Hux and Phasma in the house, they drank wine straight from the bottle while sitting in the living room and reminiscing on old times or crying over lost loves.

Now that Hux’s relationship was out in the open, he did not disguise the fact that he was taking calls from Trevor. The first few nights when Trevor called, Phasma was able to overhear one conversation where Hux declined to come over because ‘Phasma needs me. She’s my best friend and I can’t leave her.’ To his credit, Trevor seemed to be more understanding than Phasma would have guessed, though she wasn’t sure what he knew. Still, Hux chose to stay with her until Phasma felt guilty enough to fake a smile and assure him she would be okay by herself in the house. Hux was reluctant but knew better than to disagree with her when she was determined and for the past few weeks she was alone. It had been a bad idea. She felt isolation close in on her and begin to crumble her spirit. Healing after Rey was made impossible. Hope that her previous attempts to shake Ben out of depression or Brendol out of bigoted thinking diminished further as each day passed with no word from either. She constantly berated herself for thinking she could change anything and her self-esteem followed her optimism down the drain.

Currently on the lot, Phasma glanced up to the third floor of the writer’s block to the empty window that was Rey’s shared office. Just once she wished she could catch Rey looking down at her, but it never happened, and likely never would. You can’t catch someone doing something when they aren’t prone to doing it at all.

Her shoulders drooped as she shuffled indecisively around. Go back to her trailer or try to dig herself out of this self-pity and practice her motorcycle maneuver? She wasn’t in the right frame of mind to ride a motorcycle, but she didn’t want to keep wallowing in her misery alone in her trailer again. _God, is this what Ben was feeling? What a horribly futile sensation._  No matter what, there was nothing she could do, nothing she could tell herself that could pull her out of the dark abyss.

She didn’t have the energy to hold her head up high or to act like everything was okay. She had tried to get used to the idea that Rey might never come back. She had even chanted it into a mirror the night before, making sure that if there was no way to get her back that the pain would be dulled by preparing for it. However, seeing her that morning only brought all the turmoil she had been going through for the past month rise out of the depths of her soul and crucify her heart all over again. She had the foresight to know it was going to continue after lunch during the table read. She sighed and wondered how she was going to be able to take the agony. There was no way she could read the words from her script in front of the rest of the crew and not think about how she wasn’t around to watch Rey write it. Rey, who had once let her read her thoughts. Rey, the only person Phasma had ever fallen in love with.

There was no way she was going to make it through the table read. It was surprising that only Padme, Anakin and Jessika knew about her failed relationship with Rey, but after the read through, everyone was going to know because she had no idea how she was going to keep herself from begging Rey to love her again while they were both trapped in the same room.

No, of course she wouldn’t do that. To lose her cool would be to lose Rey forever. No, she would not cross any boundaries. But in her heart, she was well aware that while at the table read, her emotions would most certainly force their way to the surface and the humiliation of it will likely set off the gossip mill, enlightening everyone of their once shared romance that she had managed to destroy. _God, Rey’s going to hate that,_ she dreadfully surmised. _This day could not possibly get any worse._

A deep baritone of a voice called her name from far behind her and the immediate horror it manifested within caused her to freeze in place.

_No! It can’t be!_ She wondered if there was a way to pretend not to have heard her name and duck out of sight. One thing was certain. _This day just got so much worse._

“Phasma!”

How could that voice - a voice that raised fear from the pits of her soul - how could it be so luring like a Siren’s call? She could run and hope security would solve this problem for her but if she was to better herself like she said she would then she had no choice but to face this head on.

She turned and confronted the caller, the only person in the world she so strongly hated, and instantly regretted her decision. She was already emotionally compromised and _he_ would know exactly how to sense and take advantage of it.

This was bad. This was really, really bad.

“Phasma!” A man fifteen yards away, waving his arm frantically in the air, trotted towards her with a wide grin on his pale, gaunt face. It had been seven years, but he looked like he had aged two decades since she’d seen him last.

“What do you want, Wilhuff?” she asked him, folding her arms across her chest and putting on a brave scowl. She couldn’t stop her hands from shaking and decided to hide them in the crooks of her elbows. “How did you get on the lot?”

The old man’s smile faded back but he didn’t lose it completely. “Is that any way to treat your father? I’m sure I raised you better than that.” His smile brightened again and she knew it wasn’t for her but it was easy to think it was.

“You didn’t raise me at all,” Phasma replied with a cool, clipped tone. She hated how her accent at that moment was noticeably like her father’s, reminding her that this shitty excuse of a person somehow managed to spawn an exact likeness in female form. If all she ever wanted most was Rey, the second thing she wanted most was to never become Wilhuff Tarkin.

“That’s a really hurtful thing to say to me,” Wilhuff frowned sadly. It was fake. Just another attempt to make her feel guilty. “As soon as I found out where my daughter had been all these years, I came straight away to find you. Imagine my surprise when I saw you on television!”

“That’s a load of bullshit,” Phasma spat. Her anger was rising as she felt the coldness of his manipulative comments circle around her. She had finally freed herself so long ago, and now she looked to be drawn back in because he was very good at pretending to be the father she had wished he had been. “I sent you an invite to my college graduation but you didn’t show. Never heard from you after that. Not even an excuse or an apology. You never cared about me. You’re only here because you need money.”

“Who’s been telling you all these lies?” Wilhuff asked incredulously with a hand held over his skinny chest. Still tall and imposing with his formal military grade stature, his blond hair had gone completely gray though his blue eyes had not lost their luster. He was a little skinnier now, possibly homeless as well, but undoubtedly living in a house owned by some woman who he managed to worm his conniving way into her lonely heart. “What has that awful Hux boy been saying about me? You know I never liked him. He was always trying to pit you against me.”

“Don’t you say a word about him,” Phasma threatened. She shot a finger up and pointed it close to his nose. “He’s never hurt me like you do.”

“Me?” he responded in astonishment. “How did I ever hurt you? I never raised a hand to you, girl.”

“You abandoned me.” Phasma turned and walked away from him. She peeked up to the third floor of the writer’s block and was relieved not to see Rey at the window of her office. Now would be the worst time to ever be observed. Still, probably best to move this conversation away in case it drew unwanted attention like she suspected it would.

“I never abandoned you,” Wilhuff defended as he strode up to her side, mirroring her step and trying hard to convince her. “You’re the one that dropped off the face of the Earth. _I_ couldn’t find _you._ I went to your old apartment but no one could tell me where you had gone. I called Brendol Hux but that asshole told me to piss off. Wouldn’t tell me anything about you. No one would let me see you.”

“That’s because I told them not to,” Phasma declared as she made a cutback, attempting to throw him off then leave him in the dust. He was more spry than he let on, keeping up with her steps and continuing to speak as if she wasn’t actively evading him.

“Why would you do that?” he asked, his voice conveying pain and longing. “You are my dear daughter and I have loved you from the moment you were born.” There he goes, right back into his usual tactics, making her believe she was worth something to him.

“I don’t believe you,” Phasma claimed though she felt his words sink in and stir doubt in her mind. What if he was telling the truth this time? What if he wanted to be a father to her?

“Of course you do,” Wilhuff replied, taking her hand in his bony, warm one. “I know I wasn’t the best father to you growing up but I always came back to you and Keldo.”

“Security!” Phasma yelled in a near panic as soon as she caught sight of the guard strolling the grounds. She started to wave but her father pulled both her hands in his. She felt her heart clutch at the contact. Where was this affection when she needed him most? Wait, wasn’t she most in need of him - of anyone - now?

“Please, my dear Phasma, don’t make a scene,” Wilhuff said in a calm and gentle tone. “I’ve been looking all over for you and it would kill me if I were to lose you again.”

If her father had any idea of her emotional vulnerabilities before then, she all but verified it to him when a squeak of a suppressed cry escaped from her throat. She felt sick when his eyes narrowed perceptively and at the corner of his mouth curved a knowing smile.

“You know that I’ve always loved you, little Phazzie.”

He was pulling out the childhood nicknames. It was a low blow and wouldn’t have worked if she hadn’t been suffering through so much anguish the past few weeks.

“You don’t,” she managed to deny but it barely came out stronger than a whisper.

“Oh, my dear, of course I do,” he continued as if he didn’t know his words were hurting. “You were such a good baby. Never fussed. Never cried. Your mother thought you were a miracle.”

“Don’t talk about her.”

“You were the pride and joy in both our lives,” Wilhuff replied with a wide smile. He looked far out over the horizon, recalling memories that were probably false. “There was never anyone who made me more happy than you, my sweet girl.”

In her head Phasma told herself not to fall for his tricks again, reminded herself of all the times he had left her, a child, with nothing. He was here because he needed money. She tried to tell herself that she was simply a dollar sign to him. But the way he looked at her now reminded her of the day he had taught her to hunt rabbit, and the pride in his eyes was not an act. Her heart caught in her throat.

“Please, Phasma,” her father grew serious, holding her at the shoulders and forcing her to gaze in his eyes, “I need your help. You’re the only one I trust.”

Both being 6’3”, she couldn’t remember a time in her life that they were the same height. He had disappeared for good before she was fully grown.

“Phasma?” her fathers voice echoed in her ear. “Little Phazzie, everything’s going to be okay now.” With the pad of his thumb, he smoothed the tear she hadn’t realized had escaped down her cheek. The smile he gave her seemed like something that only a loving father could give. She wasn't sure if it was real. She wasn't sure it mattered. “I’m here now. Everything’s all right. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

So many lies. All of them convincing. He had broken so many of those lies in the past but all it would take was one kept promise to win her back. It had been a long time since she’d last seen him and people had been known to change. Could he have changed? Perhaps she had been asking too much from him in the past? They could go back to being a family again, just the two of them, just like old times.

She felt the pressure of his fingers dig into her shoulders. Uncertainty blurred her mind.

“Excuse me, Miss Tarkin?” It was the security guard. He had come to rescue her after all. His intrusion blessedly slackened the cord her father was trying to figuratively wrap around her neck. “Is this man a guest of yours on the lot? I only ask because I’m not seeing a pass or badge on him.”

“I’m her father,” Wilhuff answered a little too stringently. “Can’t you see that we’re having a moment? Leave us now or I’ll report you for harassment.”

“With all due respect,” the officer replied. He was much shorter and out of shape but wasn’t at all intimidated by the likes of an old, foppish man. “I’d like to hear what Miss Tarkin has to say about it.”

The officer looked to Phasma in concern but she had become frozen in time, caught in the manipulative grasp of her father’s promises. He had come for her. Didn’t that mean something? What else was there for her anyway? She had lost everyone. Money might be what her father was after but now that she commanded a better salary these days, she had more than enough to share. Maybe that would actually dissolve the loneliness forever. How could her father abandon her again when she had money?

“Miss Tarkin?” The security officer patiently waited. Phasma couldn’t reason through her clouded thoughts. Her father tapped his foot and glared at her anxiously.

“Don’t you see you’re upsetting her?” Wilhuff exclaimed to the officer after a brief pause. “Don’t you know who my daughter is? She’s a well known actress!”

“Yes, I know Phasma Tarkin,” the officer responded in his gruff voice, unimpressed by Wilhuff’s offending remarks. “We happened to have both been on the charity softball team last year.”

Oh, right. Officer Ackbar. She thought he looked familiar.

“Well, then you know that she’s not being treated with the respect she deserves,” her father claimed with a high and mighty air. It reminded her of the time at nine-years-old, she had come home to find him back after a three week hiatus. His welcoming, warm embrace had disintegrated any anger she had for him and she immediately accepted him back in her life. She showed him the concerned note from her teacher and he had marched into the school the next day and demanded the teacher apologize for doubting Phasma’s ability to take care of herself.

“Phasma is highly respected among the crew and employees on the lot,” Officer Ackbar said, unable to hide his seething anger bubbling just under his calm demeanor. “I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.”

“How dare you disrespect me!” Wilhuff snarked. “You have no idea how stupid you are to insult me, Phasma’s father. She’s practically married to Armitage Hux. They’re best friends and she will get you fired!”

And now Phasma was reminded how, on the same day Wilhuff had celebrated humiliating the teacher, he taught her to always value pride among all else. _Never let anyone think they’re better than you, my little Phazzie. Tarkins have always been superior to all._ Eight days later he had stolen the ring her dying mother had given to her, pawned it and disappeared for another two weeks.

“Miss Tarkin,” Officer Ackbar came up close to her and made sure she was looking directly at him. It was probably quite obvious that her father’s hooks had pierced deep but neither of them knew how to get them out. “I’m taking this man off the premises for not having a pass,” he said in a low, gentle tone, “however, I will allow him to stay at your insistence.” The last few words were uttered in contempt, urging her not to go that route. The tactic did not escape Wilhuff.

“I see what you’re trying to do, you manipulative sneak!” he exclaimed self-righteously. “I’ll have you know I can see to it that you never work in this town again!” Officer Ackbar seemed almost relieved when Wilhuff placed his right hand on the security guards shoulder and gave him a mild shove.

“Battery of an officer,” Ackbar stated as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs from behind his back. “Nothing you can do for him now, Miss Tarkin.” He grabbed at Wilhuff in an attempt to subdue him, however the Tarkin genetic line was deceptively strong and Wilhuff easily pulled free.

“Don’t you dare touch me, you stupid son-of-a-bitch!” The phrase was often used in movies and shows all across the lot, but never had it been spoken so loudly nor so aggressively. It attracted all manner of people around the lot, turning just in time to see an overweight security guard grab at a tall, imposing man in a nice suit. Directors and PA’s, actors and boom operators, stunt performers and costume designers all flocked towards the scene of the two men brawling on the ground between sound stage F and the writer’s block.

Phasma, still trapped in the internal conflict of her mind, could only stare in horror.

The fight had only just begun when a path parted through the flash mob and Phasma was stunned to see Armitage and Brendol Hux emerge on a service cart as quickly as the electric motor could carry them. Armitage hadn’t even fully stopped the cart before Brendol hopped off in his expensive three-piece suit, ready to engage in the ring.

“Oh my god, you were right,” Armitage could be heard saying once he caught sight of Phasma’s father. “That _was_  Wilhuff Tarkin at the gate.”

“Wilhuff Tarkin!” Brendol shouted as he came towards the taller, skinny man still fighting off capture from Officer Ackbar. “I thought I told you a long time ago to piss off.”

“Brendol Hux!” Wilhuff yelled in equal animosity. “You’re a thieving bastard if there ever was one.”

Phasma felt the familiar presence of Armitage Hux running up to her. He called her name but she was paralyzed by anxiety.

“Phasma!” Hux pleaded as he shook her shoulder.

“Captain!” Brendol bellowed from within the wide circle of onlookers. He had his face angled towards her but never let his threatening gaze leave Wilhuff. “Captain, answer me!”

“She’s locked!” Hux replied. Phasma had the awareness to feel his fingers weave between her own at her side. “Like that time at little league!”

“Look what you did to her!” Brendol accused Wilhuff as he pointed to Phasma with a fierce anger.

“I did nothing to her,” Wilhuff snorted.

“You did! Her fourteenth birthday, summer camp, her high school graduation…This has only happened when you’re around.”

“You’re the one that’s done this to her! You’re the one that stole her! I only came back to get what’s rightfully mine.”

“You own nothing, you worthless piece of shit,” Brendol spat angrily as he threw off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves. “But if it’s Phasma you’re talking about then you should know she can’t be owned and you don’t deserve her!”

“You took her from me!” Wilhuff screamed in offense for all to hear. “You filled her mind with nonsense and alienated her against me!”

“She’s not your daughter!” Brendol shouted back in rage. The volley of words between the two men drew a larger crowd, all excited to see their top boss in the middle of the ring. “A real father would not have abandoned her. _I_ took her in. _I_ raised her in my home. _I_ paid her way through college.” From somewhere in the back of her mind, Phasma heard Brendol’s words and her brows shot up at the mention of that. Brendol had told her he had secured a scholarship for her that offered a full ride.

Brendol went on yelling, now pointing a rough finger belligerently at the elder Tarkin. “I did everything for her including making sure she was fed, clothed and loved. You couldn’t even provide her the basic necessities. You were a shit father and you’re still a shit father.”

“Fuck you, Hux!” Wilhuff Tarkin had lost all his patience and was resorting to his most desperate manipulative tactics. “Why don’t we ask Phasma, _my_  daughter, to make a choice? Who is your father, my little Phazzie? Is it me, the person who loves you and gave you life? Or _this_  man who can barely keep his own son from running out of his?”

Up until this point in the fight, Phasma was a just a side character in her world. From deep back in the recess of her mind, she was a little girl caught between her love and hate of her own father. It was too confusing, too conflicting; nothing ever made sense. The only strategy she had ever known was to run away into the depths of her conscious.

“Come back, Phasma,” Hux whispered into her ear with a desperation he rarely conveyed. His grip on her hand tightened.

“Stop trying to manipulate her!” Brendol yelled. “Armitage, call a car over right now. We’re taking Phasma away from this deadbeat bastard.”

“I’m your father, Phasma!” Wilhuff shouted over to her. “Come with me, my dear. I’ll take you home.”

“The fuck you will!”

Phasma watched them like seeing it on a screen. Nothing seemed real. She had detached herself from reality like she had when her father screamed at her as a little girl, when she watched her mother on her death bed, when she found out her brother was never coming back…

“...not taking her anywhere!”

“...have this man arrested and kicked off the lot!”

“...ever see you again, I’ll kick your ass into Sunday!”

Phasma noted the ire in Brendol’s eyes. She was fully aware that he could punch hard. He had been a boxer in his youth. Did he know that Wilhuff had been a champion wrestler?

“...get her in the car.”

“...where are you taking her? She’s my only family. You can’t take her away from me!”

Phasma felt herself being led to a limo waiting on the other side of the circle of onlookers. There were so many people now. All her history laid out in the open. She’d never be able to live this one down.

She hadn’t gotten three steps away when the wedding ring on Brendol’s fisted hand glimmered in the sun, shooting a ray into her eye.

Wilhuff Tarkin made one more remark of a disreputable allegation. “Don’t think for a moment I don’t know what you _really_ want with my daughter.”

“What?”

“You’ve been grooming her for years. I know what you type of men ar-…”

Wilhuff braced himself for the incoming blow of Brendol’s left fist. Phasma had known it was coming. She had seen the signs. Brendol taught her to box and she recognized the tensile strength in his fist before he had known he had a jab at the ready. With the intense horror of what was to come she finally snapped out like speeding through a black tunnel, ejecting out into a white light of reality.

“No!” she screamed out as she grabbed Brendol by the shoulders and yanked him back a mere second before he could strike.

“Captain!” Brendol cried out in relief that she was responsive and annoyance at being dragged away. She held him in a grip that locked his hands behind his back.

“Don’t do it, Brendol,” Phasma said as she kept him from struggling out of her hold. “If you punch him, he’ll sue you for everything you’ve got and he’ll win.” Brendol instantly stopped struggling, thinking hard on her claim. Phasma released him and stared daggers into her father. “Don’t let him win.”

“Arrest him!” Brendol yelled to the three security guards standing around. All at once they sprung into action, but so did Wihuff as he managed to evade two of them and slip out of the grasp of the third. The crowd made it so Wilhuff couldn’t escape but he was giving the guards a hell of a time capturing him. He was as physically slippery as his personality.

Without a second’s thought, Phasma ran over and tackled him to the ground. Having been a wrestler, Wilhuff made it impossible to snap the handcuffs on his wrists, however Phasma had learned from him and they shared similar genetic qualities. She was much younger and stronger than him, and even in his prime he was no match for her. With an impressive maneuver, Phasma pinned him face down onto the concrete with his arms behind his back. The crowd cheered in surprised glee. She held Wilhuff in a tight hold until the guard cuffed his wrists.

“Traitor!” Wilhuff screamed with half his face pressed into the ground. “You’re a fucking traitor! My only regret is that we didn’t abort you!”

The guards pulled him up by the arms and stood him on his own two feet, all the while, Wilhuff screamed obscenities at Phasma as they dragged him away.

“Keldo hung himself because of you! He hated you, you traitorous bitch! He was lonely and you were never around!”

“Get into the car,” Brendol said as he grabbed Phasma by the arm and dragged her to the waiting car. The crowd parted for them but Wilhuff could still be heard thirty yards away, struggling against his captors, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“You killed your mother, Phasma! Fuck you and your-…you think you’re better than me? You killed her! She died knowing you were a worthless piece of shit!”

His words could not have sliced into her any deeper. Phasma tried hard not to look at the faces in the sea of onlookers, but for a moment she failed and her eyes locked onto another pair.

_Rey_

Phasma couldn’t look away from her despite the sadness conveyed in the brunette’s eyes. She must have seen everything.

Phasma felt Brendol push her into the car, followed by Armitage and then Brendol himself. As soon as they were all inside, the limo pulled away, leaving the crowd behind them. They were chanting something but Phasma couldn’t make it out. It faded out as the limo drove further away.

The silence in the car was painful. No one knew what to say after that. Phasma hated that she was the source of everything bad that had happened. Neither Brendol nor Armitage had left from the scene unscathed. Was the humiliation worth it to save her? Did Brendol and Armitage regret coming to her rescue?

After a very tense minute of silence, Phasma finally mustered the courage to speak.

“Brendol, I-…”

“This wasn’t your fault, Captain.” He had said it sternly with no room for negotiation. She didn’t want to leave it at that though. She tried again anyway.

“But I-…”

“This wasn’t your fault, Phasma,” Armitage concurred with more gentle sincerity than his father. Phasma swallowed hard and looked down to the floor. What a mess her life was. How did everything come to this? She fought the tears that stung her eyes, threatening to unmask her strong facade.

Brendol reached over and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. That was all it took to rip her brave front away. She hunched over and covered her face with her hands, gasping from the sobs she tried so desperately to suppress.

“You didn’t kill your mother,” Brendol told her. “You didn’t cause her cancer.”

Armitage wrapped an arm around her shoulders and placed his chin comfortingly into the crook of her neck.

“Don’t ever believe a word Wilhuff says,” he said to her. “Keldo specifically told you in his note that you were never to blame for anything. He loved you.”

"What Wilhuff did today was in no way your fault," Brendol added, trying to say it the gentle way Armitage did but only managing to sound stiff. "I'm sorry it happened to you."

“Okay,” Phasma responded, wiping the tear trails off her cheeks. She resumed her brave front for Brendol's benefit. “I'm fine.”

“Good,” Brendol said, leaning back into his seat. “You had better be.” There was a brief pause until Brendol spoke again. This time quieter and barely able to look her in the eye. “You-…we…love you, Phasma.”

It was the first time he had used her name in decades. It almost sounded foreign coming from him, but the sincerity was not lost on her. Knowing he was already stewing in the most uncomfortable moment of his life, Phasma responded in a way that would make him feel least awkward.

“I know.”

Brendol nodded and looked out the window, relieved the moment had passed without anymore heartfelt words. With a faraway look, Brendol watched the city streets pass by in a hypnotic stare. “Both my children are loved and accepted,” he suddenly muttered to himself. From the corner of her eye, Phasma looked at Hux, who was shooting her the same puzzled expression.

 

 

Rey was not the only one racing out of the building when the commotion began. Half the people in the writer’s block were already standing around in the middle of the lot once she made it outside.

The revelation that the older man yelling at Brendol Hux was Phasma’s father filled her with a dread that she could only know through the stories Phasma had told her. Phasma spoke of her mother happily despite her death when Phasma was only seven. Her memories of her brother Keldo were reflected upon in less cheer only due to the fact the wound in her heart had not fully healed after his suicide.

Her father though…

Phasma rarely spoke of her father, and when she did it was to refer to him as a narcissist and a deadbeat. She had no fondness for the man. At the moment, Rey could see why.

It seemed obvious that Wilhulf Tarkin was stirring the pot on purpose. There was something he was trying to get out of this and it wasn’t just to use or humiliate Phasma.

From across the circle, Rey could tell that Phasma was locked into a freeze response just like she had at Comic Con, though she didn’t have the luxury of hiding beneath a costume. Rey was ready to run over and provide help except that Hux was already leading her to a limo that suddenly pulled up from out of nowhere. The crowd suddenly gasped when Brendol Hux came at Phasma’s father with a hard fist only to be pulled back at the last second by Phasma instantly coming alive.

As soon as Wilhuff Tarkin was cuffed and Phasma was being escorted to the limo, Rey felt an urgent desire for her attention. With a strong concentration, she willed Phasma to see her. Her shock was too great to convey anything to Phasma when the trick worked. Phasma was pushed into the limo but Rey was gratified when their eyes didn’t disconnect until the blonde was fully inside the car.

“I love you, Captain!” an unrecognizable female voice proclaimed from somewhere within the mob. A spontaneous chant for ‘Captain’ was the crowd’s effort to encourage Phasma, since she was undoubtedly embarrassed by the occurrence.

As soon as the limo drove away, the crowd dispersed, still talking excitedly about the real life drama. Rey barely registered going back up to her office. Her thoughts were all over the place.

Jessika had not come back yet and Rey sat alone in front of her computer, staring at the blank screen. Strangely enough, her thoughts were about Brendol Hux.

Rey knew all about Phasma’s attempt to ‘unbigot’ Brendol’s outlook for Hux’s benefit, though the idea and her effort seemed outlandish in retrospect. Witnessing Brendol come to Phasma’s rescue adversely propelled that thought. Having just learned through Ben that she had managed to be right about one thing, well, what if she had been right about another? What if Phasma was the only one seeing clearly and had the courage to change it all at the risk of losing everyone? Why couldn’t Phasma be right, and why had she never even considered it till now?

If she was right then she has been in hell for the past month; alone in a large house, no idea if anyone would agree with her actions, not knowing if her friends and family were lost for good. Today only served to exacerbate her suffering.

Rey tapped a pencil against her keyboard, staring at the blinking cursor on her blank screen. She had a decision to make. Twenty minutes ago she would have been too muddled to know what to do. After Ben’s phone call, Wilhuff Tarkin’s appearance and the Hux’s rescue, Rey felt herself sway towards Phasma’s redemption.

There was only one thing that stopped her from calling Phasma right that minute. Shame and doubt.

While it was Phasma who had initially caused most of the relationship problems, it was also Phasma who had recognized nothing was actually okay and righted all that she could. She had faith in Ben when Rey did not think he could ever find happiness. She had faith in Brendol when Rey had questioned Phasma’s methods. Phasma had prostrated herself in the most vulnerable manner in an effort to gain forgiveness from Rey. These were not easy for anyone, especially Phasma, to do. Rey hated herself for not recognizing this before.

Her doubts were born of the six month long secret affair. Phasma, while learning to be more honest, had not really shown her that she could maintain a relationship that was out in the open. The problem was, Rey didn’t want to force it. She didn’t think she could survive another relationship with Phasma if the previous problems of secrecy and lop-sided effort were still there.

These were her issues. Would Phasma forgive her for doubting her and could she accept the idea of a public courtship? That was going to be one hell of a talk later on.

An idea struck her. It was unnecessary but spoke to her dramatic side. She wanted to second guess herself but it was too late, her mind was made up, but she had to hurry. She only had a few hours to do it. She clicked into her latest script and began to update the file.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chick at the end shouting "I love you, Captain!" is probably me.


	19. Fluffy Nonsense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Figuring out Rey wants to be won back, Phasma gets cute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for reference, a long time ago Rey told Phasma that of any literary character she would picture her as Eowyn from Lord of the Rings.
> 
> Btw, this chapter is unapologetically fluffy. Hope everyone likes fluff. Okay, let's go...

Brendol, Armitage and Phasma went to the nearest ice cream shop and indulged after the fiasco of the day. While they were there, a phone call to Brendol from his lawyer informed him that Wilhuff Tarkin was arrested on charges of trespassing and harassment. He was asked if he wanted to press the charges. Brendol glanced over at Phasma who nodded once.

“Charge him with everything you can,” Brendol gruffly responded then hung up the phone.

Conversation was sparse but the company was comfortable. They didn’t need words to know they were all feeling their bonds had been strengthened by the ordeal. At one point, Brendol politely but reticently asked about Phasma’s girlfriend to which Phasma simply sighed and replied, “still broken up.”

“Sorry to hear that, Captain,” Brendol acknowledged. “I’m very sorry to hear that.”

He still needed a little time, but his resurgence after Phasma had challenged his convictions was rising much quicker than either Phasma or Hux had expected.

 

Phasma was worried about going back to the studio. Her pale skin turned redder than a fire engine at just the thought of facing anyone after the chaos of that morning, especially Rey. Now there were two reasons to dread attending the table read. Brendol and Armitage urged her to take the day off but she sighed heavily and shook her head.

“Best to get it over with,” she answered.

She should not have worried. As soon as Brendol dropped Hux and Phasma back onto the lot, Padme Amidala came running to Phasma, wrapping her arms around her waist in a tight hug.

“Phasma!” Padme declared into her shoulder. They were not the same height at all. “I’m so sorry that happened to you! You didn’t deserve that.”

Suddenly Krennic was at her side. “I just want you to know that you don’t have to be at the table read if you need a break,” he said in concern. “We can work on the script later, you and I, if you would prefer.”

Someone laced their fingers with hers and she looked down at Maz Kanata who looked like a child from her height. There was over a foot of difference between them. “I want to apologize on behalf of everyone on this GODDAMN LOT!” she cried out loud enough to implicate everyone who could hear. “We should have been there for you, but ALL THESE ASSHOLES just stood around and watched. If I had been here I would have told that fuckface of a man to FUCK OFF.”

Phasma wasn’t quite sure what to say. She was incredibly thankful. Her embarrassment dissipated with each person that assured her she had nothing to be ashamed about. Anakin summed it up best when he came up to her and pulled his arm around her shoulders.

“God, Phasma,” he said to her with an understanding shake of his head. “What a shitty day you’re having.” It was enough to finally crack a smile upon Phasma’s face.

“Sit with me at the read,” Chewy told her as he grabbed her arm. “I’ll get you drunk if you need it.” He lifted his jacket so she could see the flask hidden in his breast pocket.

By the time she had reached her trailer she had lost count of the number of people who had come to lift her spirits.

 

Phasma and Armitage Hux spent the rest of the morning in her trailer talking about the change they had seen in Brendol.

“He hasn’t disrespected my opinion in weeks,” Hux mentioned. “He actually listened to an idea I had about contracting a CGI studio out to improve the graphics for some of the highly publicized projects.”

“Sounds like you two are getting along,” Phasma said.

“No, not getting along.” Hux glanced thoughtfully to the ceiling. “More like accepting we’re not the same. I don’t know what you had in mind the night you told him you had a girlfriend, but I don’t think even you could have expected this kind of development.”

“I hoped for _any_ improvement,” Phasma remarked casually.

“Looks like you got it, though I can’t imagine my father could just drop his idea of who he wants me to be and accept me for who I am. There’s no way that could happen, right?”

“There’s always room for hope.”

“I don’t know if I want to be that hopeful. Underneath it all he’s still the guy who is disappointed that I’m not more manly, or more driven, or more straight.”

“Does he know?” Phasma asked in surprise.

“No,” Hux replied, “but I’m a single man nearly thirty who has never had a girlfriend. At some point he might start to suspect.”

Their discussion was cut short when a ringing in Hux’s pocket caused him to draw out his phone and look at the caller ID. His eyes went wide in shock and he glanced up at Phasma, stunted into inaction.

“Who is it?” Phasma questioned, though she had a suspicion.

“It’s Ben,” Hux replied ominously.

“Answer it!” she demanded.

He accepted the call and put the receiver to his ear. “Ben! Tell me where you are! I’ll come get you!”

Phasma’s curiosity was overwhelming. Getting only one side of the conversation was frustrating. She watched as Hux furrowed his eyebrows and then sporadically shout out words in surprise.

“What?

“How did…?

“But…!”

Phasma could only look at the expressions on Hux’s face to decipher what it was that was going on. Her heart lurched at the mention of her name.

“Phasma’s right here. You can talk to her yourself,” Hux replied, but was stopped short of handing her the phone when he paused to listen. Hux then turned his back on her, suggesting he didn’t want Phasma to overhear any of Ben’s conversation. “Are you sure? All right. Yes, I’ll let her know. No, I haven’t seen Rey today. Sure, I’ll make sure she’s fine. What? Oh.” Hux then spoke more softly into the phone as though that would keep Phasma from hearing him. “Yeah, that’s still an issue right now. I don’t think either of them know what’s going to happen between them. Look, we’ll discuss this later. I’ll call you back tonight. Hey, I just want you to know that I am so goddamned relieved to hear your voice. Don’t disappear on me again. Yeah, I will. All right. Later.”

Hux ended the call and turned to face Phasma.

“Well?” Phasma said impatiently.

“Ben’s a Podracer in Tatooine and has no plans on coming back.” He had stated it so nonchalantly that Phasma could only stare at him in astonishment.

“What?” she managed to squeak. “How did that even happen?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to ask him later but the fact that he told me at all speaks to how much better he’s doing. He would have never let me know where he was if he was still far into his depression.”

“He didn’t want to speak with me?”

“Are you all that surprised?”

“I guess not. Still hurts.”

“For what it’s worth, he says you did him right. He just needs a little more time.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Phasma complained as she slumped back into the couch. “Seems like that’s all I ever hear. Everyone always needs more time.”

“You’re being unnecessarily impatient and hypocritical.”

“Hypocritical?”

“Isn’t that what you always told Rey when she wanted to inform Ben of your little clandestine affair?”

Phasma colored red with the memory. “Touché. Surely Rey knows about Ben, right?”

“I’m sure she was one of the first he called.” 

“Hmm…” Phasma stared up at the ceiling, wondering what that could mean for her.

“I hate to play devil’s advocate,” Hux said, correctly assessing her thoughts, “but just because Ben’s doing better doesn’t mean Rey is entirely ready to forgive you.”

Phasma managed to slump even more into the couch and reverberated her lips exasperatedly.

 

 

Still nervous about the table reads, Phasma ended up being the last one in the meeting room. There was only one chair left and it happened to be directly across the table from Rey. With a hard swallow, Phasma sat down and glanced at her ex. Rey gave her an unreadable expression before turning to Krennic at the head of the table.

“Good, that’s everyone,” Krennic stated. He grabbed two copies of the script and handed them to Chewy and Phasma. “There was a change in one of the scenes. These are your updated copies.”

Phasma arched a brow as she retrieved her new script. She flipped through it looking for the update but she had several scenes with Chewy and didn’t know which one it would be. Before she could get to the last one, Krennic had started the reading and Padme’s voice distracted her.

After the morning she had, Phasma wasn’t in the best mindset to act out her lines but she did the best she could and Krennic went easy on her. She kept expecting her lines to be different but as she read the same ones she had gone over the past week, it was almost jarring that nothing had changed. She could feel Rey watching her closely, making her even more self-conscious.

Finally, the very last scene arrived and Phasma prepared herself for the new lines.

 

 

OUTLAND BASE BRIG

 

DARK ROOM with three empty prison cells. Bright BLUE LASER lines cross the opening of the only occupied cell. CAPTAIN PHASMA appears to be asleep on a cot. ADMIRAL KELTON (Chewy Mayhew) enters scene. He knocks out the guard, goes to the console and dismantles the force field.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON:

                                                                        Get up, Captain. I know you’re awake.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

(Motionless)

                                                                        I have no need of your assistance. I have other

                                                                        escape plans that I intend to use.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON pulls a BLASTER PISTOL from his pocket, points it at CAPTAIN PHASMA.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         Get up, Captain, or you will die here.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA sits up on her cot, not at all frightened.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         And exactly how are you going to explain my death

                                                                         to your crew? Granted, they might congratulate you

                                                                         for it but your Lieutenant is so terribly moral about

                                                                         these things.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         Don’t think I won’t do it. Desperate times calls for

                                                                         desperate measures. You’re the only one that can save

                                                                         her.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         You’re expecting me to save your daughter? (laughter)

                                                                         How is my death going to help her? You want her so

                                                                         badly why don’t you go get her?

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         You know why. I don’t have the support of the Republic.

                                                                         They’re not going to send a rescue mission for her

                                                                         because the risk is too high. No one in the base has

                                                                         the skill or courage to go after her. No one but you.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         I have no intention of ever saving your daughter. It’s a

                                                                         fool’s errand. A suicide mission. I’m actually quite

                                                                         appalled that you would expect me to do your bidding

                                                                         just because you unlocked the door. Needlessly, I might

                                                                         add.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         She’s being held on Chargon IV…

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         I know.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                        …in one of the science labs…

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         So, I hear.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         …recently purchased by Jabba Hutt.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA is rendered speechless. ADMIRAL KELTON pockets his gun.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         How do I know you’re not lying?

 

ADMIRAL KELTON tosses a datapad to CAPTAIN PHASMA.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         This footage was just recently retrieved. It’s video feed

                                                                         from a ship taken fourteen hours ago.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA watches video footage

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         This could be doctored-…

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                          It’s not.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         Jabba Hutt. He has your daughter.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         Kill him. Save my daughter.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         Oh, I’ll definitely kill him. I might not save her.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         You’ll do it.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         You think I owe you something? I would have broken

                                                                         out of here on my own. I would have found Jabba Hutt

                                                                         once I got out. Nothing has changed. You and your family

                                                                         are still on my hit list. With the opportunity presenting itself,

                                                                         I might be the one to kill your daughter. Didn’t you even think

                                                                         of that?

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         My daughter had nothing to do with your past. She was still a

                                                                         child at the time.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         Doesn’t matter. You are all keeping me from the person who I

                                                                         have vowed to destroy if it’s the last thi-…

 

ADMIRAL KELTON types on the datapad and tosses it back to CAPTAIN PHASMA. She reacts in cold shock.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         I’ll give you the rest of the code when you get back. We’ll make

                                                                         the trade when I see you have my daughter.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                         Now I know this is a trick.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                         You think this is a trick? You think I would do this to my own

                                                                         son if I could avoid it? Tell me Captain, who deserves to live

                                                                         most? My son or my daughter?

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                        I don’t think any of you deserve life, however, I will get your

                                                                        daughter back for you if it means you’ll trade the life of your

                                                                        heinous son for your daughter’s. Just know that if you're trying

                                                                        to fool me, I will deliver to you the worst death possible.

 

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA walks out of the cell past ADMIRAL KELTON. She retrieves her weapons from the locker inside the guard station.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                        How will you get to Chargon IV?

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                       That’s none of your concern. Remember, I’m not doing this for

                                                                       you. Jabba Hutt will die slowly and painfully; just the way he

                                                                       killed my people. You’re lucky you stand to benefit from his

                                                                       demise.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA pins on her cape, checks her pistol and holsters it.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA (CONT’D)

                                                                       When I come back, have your son ready for transfer to my star

                                                                       destroyer. His life stopped being his own when he tampered with

                                                                       mine.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA heads for the exit.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                        Just bring my daughter home.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA pauses mid step. She turns to glare at ADMIRAL KELTON.

 

 

Phasma paused at this moment as she read her script. There was an entire monologue that had been added past this point that had not been there before. She was surprised Rey would give her so much dialogue.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                       Exactly what will you be doing while I’m out risking my life to

                                                                       retrieve her? What is it you think you’ve done here? You release

                                                                       me, bargain with the lives of your children, then sit back while I

                                                                       jump into the pits of hell? Are you satisfied with this plan? Does

                                                                       this make you feel better about yourself?

 

                                                                       You’re a coward, Admiral. You think you’ve done all you can to

                                                                       get your daughter to safety but what you’ve released into the wild

                                                                       is another monster. Your daughter is just collateral in which to

                                                                       negotiate with. I’m going to find her but by the time I come back

                                                                       hundreds will die and your villainous son will be next.

 

                                                                       If you loved your daughter, if you truly wanted everything for her,

                                                                       it wouldn’t be me going to get her. You think you’re making a

                                                                       sacrifice by offering your estranged son, who even you admit is a

                                                                       cancer on society, but you’ve done nothing to really show your devotion.

 

ADMIRAL KELTON

                                                                       I am putting my rank on the line f-…

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                       Exactly! Your rank. Not your army, not your freedom, not your life.

                                                                       I’ve sacrificed all these things and it wasn’t even for something as

                                                                       rare as love. Do you even know how many people in my life have

                                                                       loved me? How many people do you think have ever displayed happiness

                                                                       at my well being? Zero. Not one person has ever found room in their

                                                                       hearts to place me there. Do you even know what that’s like? To be

                                                                       ripped from the arms of the parents you don’t remember? To be raised

                                                                       in a lab and trained only to be a war machine? I was never allowed

                                                                       emotion. Your son saw to it that I was never given the opportunity.

 

                                                                       For once in my life, I just want to be loved. If there was an inkling of a

                                                                       chance that someone could love me, you better be damn sure I would

                                                                       fight-

 

Phasma broke mid-sentence. A pregnant pause enveloped the room. Phasma glanced up at Rey and noted a very piercing stare into her. Rey was scrutinizing everything about her, searching her face for something, most likely a semblance of comprehension. Phasma cleared her throat and went on.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA

                                                                      - better damn be sure I would fight like hell for it. I wouldn’t

                                                                      circumspect my duty by making dubious arrangements with someone

                                                                      who doesn’t care. No, if I found one person who was compassionate

                                                                      enough to accept me for who I am, I would be the one out there, going

                                                                      to every length to get it, giving everything I have to earn it, showing

                                                                      how much this person means to me, naysayers be damned. And the fact

                                                                      that you, an Admiral with an army at his disposal, can’t bother personally

                                                                      entering a war zone and instead sends an enemy alone to reclaim your

                                                                      supposed loved one…well, you clearly don’t love your daughter enough.

 

                                                                      This is how you choose to put your rank on the line? This is why I

                                                                      challenge you and all you so-called ‘civilized people’. The methodology

                                                                      to which you show your love, your anger, your sadness…it’s all despicably

                                                                      squandered.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA strikes her blaster pistol against ADMIRAL KELTON’s temple. He falls to the floor unconscious.

 

CAPTAIN PHASMA (CONT’D)

                                                                      I’ll be back with your daughter. Good luck trying to explain your presence

                                                                      in the brig after they’ve found I’m gone.

 

 

Generally, at the conclusion of a reading, the crew ended off with a self-congratulating round of applause. This time it was dead quiet.

“Whoa…” Chewy Mayhew said under his breath. “That was intense.”

“Damn, my heart is racing,” Anakin concurred. “That was a good scene, Rey.”

“Nice job, Phasma, for that excellent bit of reading,” Krennic added. He started an applause that grew until the silence was drowned out with deafening praise.

Phasma couldn’t contain her shy smile, braving a glance at Rey who was still keenly staring at her.

 

 

Back in her office, Rey wasn’t entirely sure Phasma got the hint. As soon as the meeting had adjourned, Krennic had whisked Phasma and Padme out, readying them for tomorrow’s shoot in the brig. Phasma had shot Rey an apologetic look, clearly wanting to talk, probably about Ben.

There was a lot to talk about, but if Rey was entirely honest with herself, she didn’t want to talk about it at all. At the moment, she had this overwhelming desire to be pursued and won.

She tapped her pencil against her keyboard, glancing at her phone in anticipation.

“Please stop,” Jessika said without even looking up from her computer she so furiously wrote at.

“Sorry.” Rey stood up and looked out the window, telling herself it wasn’t in hopes of seeing Phasma outside. She could sometimes see her walking down below in her chrome armor. It usually launched her spirit into a writing frenzy.

Nothing.

The work day ended and Phasma had not called or come to talk to Rey by the time she left her office. There was nothing from her once she was ready for bed late that night. Rey felt heavy with disappointment. Her attempt had not worked. Fine, she’ll go have an uncomfortable talk with Phasma about it though she wished she wouldn’t have to ask for these things. Something about telling her ex to try her hardest to get her back somehow took some of the sincerity and fun out of it.

 

 

The next morning Rey entered her office to find a full bouquet of flowers sitting on her desk. Her heart bloomed at the sight of them.

 

_I miss and love you_

_\- P_

 

Rey was conflicted. The hint had been caught but the effort was subdued. She was pretty sure she knew what was going through Phasma’s mind. Her ex wasn’t entirely sure she was given allowance and was hesitant to fully cross the boundary Rey had placed the previous month.

Nope, this wasn’t going to satisfy her greed. She looked up the shooting schedule and found that Phasma would be in studio F where the Outland Base sets were built. It wouldn’t be strange for the episode writer to make an appearance.

Before she made it out of her office, Jessika walked in and eyed the flowers.

“Oh my god!” she cried out in glee. “Are those from Phasma? Are you back together?”

“Not sure yet,” Rey replied as she scooted past Jessika and into the hall. She could still hear Jessika shouting after her.

“Don’t be too hard on her, Rey! Unless you’re going to get some hanky panky? Otherwise, go all out on her!”

 

 

Phasma stood in her chrome armor in the middle of the brig as the lighting crew found a way to keep the light from bouncing too chaotically off her metal.

“Little more to the left, Phasma,” one of them ordered. Phasma shifted slightly to the left. “Can you get your cape to drape more over your shoulder? The less shine, the easier this is.”

Phasma did as she was told but her thoughts were not on the scene. Rey would be getting her flowers sometime soon. How would she handle it? Would she be mad that she wasn’t giving her enough time and space? Maybe the dialogue was nothing more than that; just dialogue. The anxiety she felt was overwhelming.

Phasma stiffened when Rey entered the set.

“Hey, Rey,” the second assistant director, Bren Derlin greeted her. Phasma could see his smile suddenly widen and jealousy instantly swelled through her. She had figured he liked Rey but his actions towards her at the moment pretty much confirmed it. “What brings you around?”

Rey pointed to Phasma, which nearly caused the blonde to run over to her, almost forgetting she was needed to stand in place. “Wanted to see how the Captain Phasma scenes were going.”

Phasma could hear them but wasn’t sure Rey wanted her to hear or was even aware of it. The fact Rey called her Captain gave it an impersonal feel. Her shoulders instinctively drooped in response.

“The glare off her armor is a bitch to work with,” Bren stated. His energy indicated he was all too eager to talk about anything with Rey. “I don’t know what they were thinking when they thought up a warrior entirely in chrome. Clearly not the lighting or sound mechanisms of it.”

Rey slightly nodded her head, taking in the consideration of his words. “True. But she looks good,” she responded, as if that was any consolation for all the added work.

“Right. Yeah-…of course.” Bren stumbled in his backtrack. “I mean, she totally looks good though.”

“Very good.”

“Yeah, obviously.”

Rey took a moment to assess Phasma from afar. Feeling her stare, Phasma swallowed hard, a light sheen of sweat shone upon her brow. It was suddenly so hot under the lights on set.

“I kind of need more though, you know?” Rey said. Bren gave her a questioning look.

“Uh, I’m not sure I do.”

“Just…more.” Rey waved her hands in the air as if searching for the right words but coming up short. There was a card in her hand that looked like the one Phasma had filled out and placed in the bouquet an hour earlier. “A lot more.”

“More…” Bren pondered, still not sure what to make of it.

Phasma was as still as a statue but her knowing smile did not escape Rey. Seeing that she had it, Rey seemed confidant enough to leave it back in Phasma’s hands.

“This is good work, Bren. Be seeing ya,” Rey gave his shoulder a pat then turned on her heel. Phasma chuckled to herself at the confusion left behind on Bren’s face.

 

 

At lunchtime, Rey was walking on the lot when she felt someone fall into step beside her. Whoever it was was tall enough to block the noonday sun. Rey tried to still her beating heart when she looked up to Phasma’s beaming face.

“Hi,” Phasma said casually.

“Hi, yourself.” Rey made a point of being aloof, though her smile contradicted any annoyance she tried to convey.

“You heard from Ben, right?”

“Yes, of course. You were right all along.”

“Not really. He doesn’t want to talk to me so I’m still in the dog house, so to speak,” Phasma shrugged. “But it’s nice to know he’s found his place.”

“Listen, Phasma,” Rey stopped in her tracks, turning to Phasma with a serious tone. “I owe you an apology. I sho-…”

“No, you don’t,” Phasma cut her off. “There’s a lot that went on. We’ll talk about it later but right now I want to earn your affection. Let’s just start over again, all right?”

Rey smirked, loving the sound of that. “All right.”

Phasma stepped back two paces and cleared her throat. She then stepped towards Rey again like seeing her for the first time that day. “Oh, hey, Rey! Didn’t see you there. Just read your latest script. So fantastic. You’re just an amazing writer.”

Rey laughed and resumed heading to the commissary. “Thank you, Phasma. That’s really sweet of you.”

“I mean every word of it.” The elation of talking to Rey again filled Phasma’s heart with juvenile glee. She felt like she was back in high school. “Where are you headed? Can I carry your books for you?”

Rey laughed again at the thought of Phasma carrying her scripts the rest of the way to her destination, which was ten steps away.

“Sorry, you’re a little late. I’m meeting Mace to go over the last brig scene.”

“Oh,” Phasma visibly slumped. “Now? I was hoping to ask you to lunch.”

“Maybe if you earn it, we can do lunch Thursday.”

“Not tomorrow?”

“Wednesday’s are all day meetings, remember?” Rey replied. “But, I’m hoping for something nice to happen that might keep my thoughts entertained while I sit bored throughout them.”

“Oh?” Phasma asked in interest. She placed her hand up against the wall behind Rey’s head and leaned towards her. Rey backed up against the wall with her scripts held up to her chest but the thrill of Phasma so close coursed through her like a fire. “What kind of nice something?”

God, this kind of flirting was exactly what Rey wanted. She wondered if Mace would miss her if she skipped the meeting.

“Oh, something cute. Maybe a little public.” Rey was not in the habit of airing out her business. She especially didn’t love public displays of affection, however, she contradicted her own views about it since the moment she had met Phasma. Wasn’t the first place they had ever kissed in a stairwell surrounded by a bunch of other people making out? She hadn’t even known her name at the time…

“Cute. Public,” Phasma repeated with a knowing nod. “How about I throw in a little self-indulgent as well?”

“For who? Me or you?”

“You, of course.”

“Hmm…” Rey pretended to think on it. “I think that sounds acceptable.” Her words came out low and breathy. She could feel herself glowing red in shyness.

“Hey, Phasma.”

Phasma pushed off the wall, removing her hand from it as she turned her head to the speaker.

“Oh, hey Wedge,” she shakily returned, before realizing her mistake and turning to see Rey’s dismayed reaction. She quickly placed her hand back behind Rey on the wall. It was too late though. Old habits die hard and fear of commitment was a difficult one to overcome.

Wedge passed by giving them both an arch of his brow before moving on.

“Uh, so…cute,” Phasma quickly said, trying to get back where they were before. Rey could see she was trying but the fire in her veins had already iced over.

“And public,” Rey told her, ducking under her arm and disappearing into the commissary. She managed to hear Phasma mutter curses to herself under her breath.

 

 

The next morning, Rey entered her office hoping for something from Phasma. She was not disappointed to find several Captain Phasma type dolls, all of them different, with little speech bubbles taped to their helmets.

 

_You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met_

_Submit your blaster for inspection_

_I love everything about you_

_Does this chrome make me look fat?_

_I can see you on me_

 

Jessika was already there, watching for her reaction with hands covering her stupid smile.

“It’s not what you think,” Rey told her, unable to look her in the eye for fear that stupid smiles were contagious.

“You guys are so cute!” Jessika exclaimed. “Oh my god, I’m getting diabetes just being around this sweetness.”

“They’re shooting the shower scene today, right?”

“Yeah. You gonna go peek in on ya gurl?” Jessika joked. “I know you like the way her blonde hair gets all spiky when it’s wet.”

“What? When have I ever said anything like that?”

“Oh my god, Rey, please…every time you see her you talk about the time you went swimming in the basin.”

Rey stopped listening and looked up the shoot schedule. Phasma was on the call sheet that morning. For the shower scene. She looked over at the little figurines then back at the call sheet as she pondered her idea. Now that Phasma was taking the initiative, what harm would it be to go check in on her, maybe get a little lite flirting going just to show her efforts were not unnoticed or unappreciated?

“Be right back. I have to go talk to someone before the meeting starts,” Rey said as she dropped her things onto her desk and went back to the door.

“Okay, but you’ve only got like thirty minutes to bang before then,” Jessika called out as she left.

“I’m not going to go get laid! Jeez, Jess!”

 

 

 

Phasma stood around in a light robe feeling dumb for agreeing to do this scene. How the hell Krennic and Mace convinced her to film only in her underwear was beyond her. She was well aware it was because of the surging interest in Captain Phasma and the undeniable fact that sex sells. Granted, the underwear was ‘space’ underwear so it was actually black boy shorts and a sports bra that provided a decent amount of coverage, but it was far from her realm of comfort.

She was continually glancing to the entrances to the set while the crew prepared the lights. Rey should have gotten her gifts by now. Would she come by before the weekly writer’s meeting began?

Phasma eye rolled when she noticed Krennic heading her way, looking like he was on a serious mission.

“Hey, Phasma.” He came up to her, glancing around them in a way that suggested he was about to tell a dirty joke. “So, the producers are very interested in ratings, as always. They wanted to run something by you.”

“Why don’t they ever come talk to me themselves?”

“Quite frankly, you intimidate them.”

“What do they want?”

“Don’t yell at me.”

“I’m not yelling.”

“Not yet. How would you feel about,” Krennic looked around them again, making sure no one was around to eavesdrop, “doing this scene in the nude?”

“Are you fucking mental?” Phasma yelled. “Do I seem like I-…?

“That’s all the answer I need,” Krennic replied, cutting her off and holding his hands up in surrender. He turned and shook his head extravagantly at a group of men standing thirty feet away. “She says no!” The producers all let their shoulders droop and kicked the ground in discouragement. Something about the way they seemed mostly cavalier by her answer suggested their request had nothing to do with ratings. They just wanted to see her naked. It reminded her that she was something of an exotic anomaly to some and it made her feel creeped out.

Instantly, Phasma perked up when Rey suddenly appeared on set. Rey looked around and spotted Phasma then gave her a wave. Phasma waved back, unable to hide the smile culminating at her appearance. She quickly grabbed a bag out of her hiding place on set. When she looked up, second assistant director Bren Drelin had somehow magically teleported next to Rey. Phasma groaned in annoyance.

“Hey, Rey,” Bren said, braving a flirty tone. “What brings you down? Don’t you writers have a meeting?”

“I came to see Phasma,” Rey replied, intentionally leaving out details. Even if she were into men, Rey doubted she would be into Bren. Phasma had crossed the set by now and came up to stand in front of Rey.

 “Oh, well, there she is…” Bren waved a hand towards Phasma as though Rey had needed the direction.

“Thanks, Bren,” Phasma replied. “I’ll take it from here.” To her dismay, Bren didn’t take the hint at all. Even more to her chagrin, Rey seemed glad about having a witness around. Phasma sighed and reached into her bag. “I got you something.” She pulled out a present and handed it to Rey, unable to hide her burgeoning smile. “Don’t open it here.”

“Ooh, why not? Is it porn?” Rey teased. Phasma shot a glimpse at Bren who seemed confused by the joke.

“If I had known that was what you wanted, I would have gotten that for you.”

“Well, now you know.” Rey gave her a wink and Phasma knew right away she was goading her to be more openly flirtatious. Phasma hated that the discomfort was already creeping through her, but if that’s what Rey wanted, then that’s what Rey’s getting.

“You look…” Phasma wasn’t sure the word she should use. Beautiful? Pretty? These seemed too tame. “Spicy.” _God, she sucked at this._

Rey huffed in laughter anyway. “And you look nearly naked. When will you be ready to shoot the scene?”

“As soon as the cameras are ready. Should be anytime soon,” Bren answered for her. Phasma had forgotten he was still lingering and she shot him an annoyed look, which he missed because he was gazing wantonly at Rey.

“You don’t normally come to set,” Phasma remarked. “Not that I don’t enjoy your company, but why come to this shoot?”

“I may not have written this particular scene but I’m excited to see how it turns out.”

“You just came here because I’m half undressed.” Phasma had made herself say it and was pleased by both the mischievous look from Rey and the questioning one from Bren. Phasma’s discomfort slid away enough to allow her to maintain eye contact with Bren and thumb over at Rey. “She thinks I’m hot.”

Phasma actually managed to start a blush on Rey’s face. _Serves you right _,__  Phasma thought, though she was enjoying the open flirtation more than she thought she would. The three of them turned when Krennic’s voice sailed through out the studio.

“We’re ready to roll in two!” Krennic called out, pointing to various people. “Ready Outland soldiers! Get prepared for entrance. Where’s Phasma? Maz, get Phasma oiled up. Piper, pull the boom closer. There! Someone get me a coffee!”

Maz and Rose came striding up with a bottle of baby oil.

“I don’t understand why you always have to be as far away from wardrobe as possible,” Maz complained. “Take off your damned robe.”

Phasma disrobed, feeling vulnerable as she did so and embarrassed to be practically naked around all these people. It helped a little that Rey was ogling her.

Maz poured some baby oil in her hands and handed the bottle to Rose who did the same. Together they began roughly covering the baby oil over Phasma’s skin.

“You’re going to have to bend over,” Rose said. “It’s really difficult to reach up to your shoulders.”

“I bet Rey can reach,” Phasma replied, giving her a daring look. Rey narrowed her eyes at her though the beguiling grin on her face indicated she was only too happy to take that dare. Wordlessly, Rey took the bottle and poured oil in her palm. She rubbed it enough to heat the oil between her hands and then smoothed it over Phasma’s shoulders and neck. She wasn’t nearly as rough as Maz and Rose had been; not rough at all in fact. Rey’s hands softly glazed over her triceps and traps before her fingers slipped into the back of her short hairline. Being so tall, Rey had to stand nearly pressed to Phasma to reach the upper regions of her neck. Goosebumps raised along Phasma’s skin, having nothing to do with the cold. Phasma stood still, letting Rey do all the work while she gazed at her face. Her eyes flickered to Rey’s lips, which caused the brunette to smirk triumphantly.

“Did it just get sexy in here?” Maz asked.

“Pretty sure there’s a lot of people turned on right now,” Rose said indicating over to Bren who stared at Rey and Phasma with mouth dropped open.

“That’s probably enough of that,” Maz replied as she handed Rey a towel and gently shooed her away. “Any more and this won’t be decent television we’re making here.”

“I hope you’ve got something to think about during the boring parts of the meeting,” Phasma told Rey after she had dried her hands on the towel and handed it back to Maz.

“In fact, I do,” Rey replied. “Call me later.”

Phasma watched Rey go while Maz and Rose watched Phasma.

“There are nuclear bombs with less chemistry than what’s going on between you two,” Rose mentioned.

“That was a nice way of putting that,” Maz responded. “I was going to say one of you might be knocked up after that bit of eye fucking. If you haven’t already, you might want to lock that down, Phasma.”

“I’m trying,” Phasma replied. “I’m trying.”

 

 

As soon as Rey was alone in her office, she opened the present.

She was not surprised it was a volume of books, the size and shape suggested it was, however it seemed squarely in the ‘antique’ category and surprisingly well kept to boot. It looked like it had been forgotten in an old bookcase somewhere until the original owner died and the grandchildren sold off the belongings.

It was a first printing of the first edition Lord of the Rings set. Rey gaped at the volume and then noticed the sticky note tabbed in the middle of the second book. She opened The Two Towers and found the note hidden inside.

 

_I was going to cross out all the Eowyn references and write in Captain Phasma but I figured that would devalue this set._

_I miss staying up through the night, talking to you and making love. I regret hiding you like a secret and wish I had been a stronger person when I had the opportunity. I think about you all the time. Watch out, because, with your permission, I am going to sexually harass you until you decide it’s easier to just capitulate._

 

Rey uncharacteristically giggled to herself. If her self-esteem wasn’t already at a healthy level this would be the kind of thing that would cause her to feel like the prettiest princess at the ball.

 

 

Rey made it back to Padme’s place late that night. Padme was already there. As soon as Rey came in, Padme quickly swallowed the bite of apple she was eating and held up a hand to stop Rey in her tracks.

“Hey,” Padme began, a little piece of apple at the corner of her mouth, “so I heard from Wedge, who heard from Chewy, who heard from his personal assistant, who talked to the hairdresser, who is best friends with Rose Tico that you and Phasma were seen making out right before the shower scene.”

“Whoa!” Rey flinched back, shocked that news traveled so fast. “I didn’t make out with Phasma.”

“Oh,” Padme replied in confusion.

“But there might have been some very strong flirting going on,” Rey admitted, trying to withhold her smile.

“Oh!” Padme perked up. “Are you two back together?”

“Not yet, though it feels eventual. I’m trying to draw it out as much as I can.”

“Turning the tables on her? Making her try to break your resolve just like she made you do to her the first six months?”

“Am I being sadistic? I don’t want to push her away but I am loving all this attention. She got me these presents…”

“Oh,littleCaptainPhasma’s!Howadorable!”

“...And she’s been way more open with her approach, which you heard about.”

“Girl. You do you,” Padme encouraged. “You deserve it.”

“Phasma said I could be self-indulgent. She’s the one that brought it up,” Rey said in a tone that’s only purpose was to convince herself.

“Take what you can get.”

“Anyway, you’ll finally have your place back.”

“Please, I love having you here. Don’t feel pressured to go back to your house until you can’t take one more moment away from Phasma.”

Rey’s phone rang, the caller ID indicating Phasma Tarkin was calling.

“She is not playing around,” Padme responded. “Go get your groove on.”

Rey ran upstairs, answering the phone as she entered her room. It reminded her of her days as a teenager when someone she was excited about would call her. Phasma reduced her down to this.

“I can’t wait to see how your shower scene turns out,” Rey said without so much as a hello.

“Krennic asked me today if I would consider doing it naked,” Phasma replied, lighting Rey’s heart afire. The brief words kicked off a three hour phone call, long overdue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't see how people can plan out chapters because what I thought was one chapter is turning out to be three. Hopefully we'll get to the epilogue after the next chapter is posted.
> 
> And, omg, for some reason the formatting to make the dialogue look like it's in script form was surprisingly time consuming. It just would not transfer correctly so this is my excuse as to why it looks weird.


	20. Everything Went Better Than Expected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not everyone is aware that Phasma is relentlessly pursuing Rey. And sometimes people just need a little scare to point out how ridiculous they're being.

At Rey’s desk the next morning was a wrapped gift (obviously a DVD) and a USB sitting on a note saying ‘read me’ in Phasma’s chicken scratch handwriting.

Rey popped in the USB and hunched over her computer with a dumb grin as she read the first entry.

 

_My greatest day ever_

_I decided to take Rey up to the basin because I thought she would think it was really pretty out there. I wanted to show it to her and to make her feel as good as she makes me feel…_

 

Phasma was not a good writer and this was beyond reasonable levels of sappiness but Rey loved every word of Phasma’s account of that day. When she was done reading it she grabbed the present and tore it open… and stared at it in puzzlement.

It was a DVD of porn. It looked like it came from someone’s personal library. Rey wasn’t sure if Phasma was into porn but this didn’t seem like it would be in her wheelhouse. Even then it was either an odd joke or a complete misinterpretation of their banter yesterday morning.

She would have to ask Phasma about it when they met for lunch.

 

 

An hour later, Rey went down to the commissary to pick up some better coffee than the sludge they had in the break room. It just so happened Bren Dreslin was passing by.

“Hey, Rey!” he shouted as he approached her. Inwardly she groaned knowing she would have to eventually give him the ‘I’m going to pass on that’ speech. Ever since she started working on the lot, she felt like she was giving the speech more often.

“Hey Bren.” She did not convey any interest in him so that he might take the hint early on. No such luck.

“You look spicy today,” he grinned, shooting her some finger guns. Rey did a double take, giving him a blank stare as she silently looked for a plausible reason for anything he just did. It took her a moment to remember he had been standing around yesterday when Phasma needed oiling up. He was easy to forget, and evidently that’s what happened. A thought occurred to her.

“Did you put anything on my desk this morning?” she asked.

“You got my present!” he replied as happily as she was cross. “You said you wanted porn. I was hoping we could watch it together.” He gave her an exaggerated wink.

“I never said that,” she answered, shooting him a disgusted look. “Don’t go into my office again, especially when I’m not there.”

“What?” His look dropped in confusion. “But you told Phasma that you were hoping for porn. I was just trying to be nice.”

“There are several things wrong with your thinking. First, I was joking. Second, if I actually wanted porn, and I said it out loud to Phasma, then Phasma is the person I would want it from. Not you. And third, what in the world were you hoping to achieve here? You mirrored everything Phasma did. Are you now under the assumption that I would be into you? You think your pathetic attempts at imitating the one person you see getting what you want will result in you getting them too?”

“I don’t know,” Bren shrugged, still perplexed. “I mean, it’s not like you’re actually into Phasma. She’s practically a man. But she’s not a man. And she’s like, weirdly ugly.”

“Oh, so you think I couldn’t possibly be attracted to her?”

“No. Not really. At least not a hot chick like you. You could get an actual man if you wanted, you know.”

There was no talking to Bren, especially when she was so keyed up. She turned on her heel and walked as fast as she could away from him. So ready for coffee.

He yelled out standard slogans. “Hey, where are you going? Was it something I said?” until she was too far away to hear.

 

 

By the time lunch rolled around, Rey still felt the residual anger but it had the odd effect of stimulating her writing. Nothing like a little emotion to apply to paper. Her phone broke her out of her head space when a text pinged.

 

_Still on for lunch? I’m coming to your office now._

 

Rey shot off a confirmation text and then turned towards Jessika who was in her own writing frenzy.

“I’m going to lunch now,” she told her. “You want anything when I come back?”

“Nah,” Jessika replied in a drone voice, barely aware of anything outside her mind. She suddenly stopped and then turned to Rey. “No, wait! Bring me a protein bar, will you? Not the ones with dried bananas.”

“Sure.” A knock at the door made Rey glance at it in amusement. If that was Phasma then she must have been in the elevator when she sent the text. Rey opened the door and stood gawking at the image before her.

“Ready?” Phasma asked. Rey could only stare in shock. _Goddamn her._

Jessika looked over to see why Rey wasn’t responding. She laughed once she caught sight of Phasma.

“Oh, I see,” Jessika said, giving Phasma a thumbs up. “Jeez, Rey, you are so transparent. I don’t need that protein bar if you decide you have other plans after lunch.”

Rey threw Jessika an indignant look before turning back to Phasma. The blonde had apparently gone to wardrobe after practicing her motorcycle stunts and was now dressed as Captain Phasma in her sleek black uniform complete with cape. Rey’s kryptonite. This hold out wasn’t going to be as prolonged as she had hoped.

“Let’s go,” Rey told Phasma, grabbing her arm. She stuck her tongue out at Jessika before closing the door on her. “You must be baking in that costume. It’s so hot outside.”

“I feel really damn silly, too,” Phasma admitted, “but I like the way you look at me when I wear it.”

Rey gave her a once over and fanned her hand at her face.

“God, so hot right now,” she muttered.

 

 

Phasma was not stared at because she was wearing a costume. Half the people in the commissary were wearing costumes. Regardless, she could feel eyes on her from everywhere. She had been informed that morning by Wedge Antilles that word on the lot was that Phasma was in hot pursuit of one of the Outland Base writers. She was not keen on her business being out in the open. If it wasn’t for Rey she would have vehemently denied it.

It was all in her head but she didn’t have the awareness to know that. While her lunch with Rey was going well, she was still conscious of Anakin Skywalker glancing in their direction. At one point they made eye contact and Anakin shot her a wink. _What is that supposed to mean? _s__ he wondered, forgetting that the obvious answer was simply Anakin is a constant winker.

Phasma and Rey stepped outside after lunch, flirting in the cooler shadows between the sound stages.

“Back there is where you used to take me to make out,” Phasma pointed to a concealed area behind the prop room.

“So it is,” Rey remarked.

“You only did it when I was wearing a costume.”

“Hmm…I guess that’s true.”

“I just want to make a note that I’m wearing a costume.”

“So you are,” Rey replied, reaching out and extending Phasma’s cape.

“I’m willing to bet we’re a little less expendable now, so maybe we can slip back there again and, you know, be a little…louder.” Phasma’s words came out unsure. Rey was clearly much better at being forward. She appreciated that Phasma was stepping way outside her comfort zone though.

“I was thinking something else,” Rey replied, and without warning she slipped under Phasma’s cape. Phasma bolted up straight, not knowing what to do with that. Anyone passing by would see Captain Phasma, professionally uniformed, looking surprised and seemingly by herself.

“Rey,” Phasma harshly whispered, directing it to her left shoulder. She could feel Rey’s hands brush evenly down the sides of her spine, hidden beneath the heavy fabric.

“Shh,” Rey hushed. Phasma pursed her lips and darted her eyes around the lot. There weren’t too many people milling about and all of them were far enough away not to notice anything. No one had seen them but they were out in the open and they would eventually be caught doing…whatever it was Rey was doing.

Fingers ran along the side of Phasma’s ribcage causing her to stiffen. Rey pressed closely to her back and Phasma could sense warm breath heat through the fabric. Phasma’s heart began to race and she wondered how Rey slipping beneath her cape could feel so sensual. It dawned on her what she was doing and it made her oddly nervous. She felt the pulse in her neck quicken despite her attempts to control it.

With her ear up against Phasma’s back, Rey could hear the blood pulsing vigorously. A smile upturned the corner of her mouth. It came as no surprise that Phasma was strong of heart.

It was cute how Phasma took to controlled breathing to slow the beats. She was unsuccessful but Rey liked how her lungs expanded enough to sway them into a lithe rhythm. Rey closed her eyes, feeling the comfort and wishing she had all the time in the world to stay like this forever.

“Hey, Phasma!” The voice was far enough away to be almost drowned out by the pounding in Phasma’s chest. From under the cape, Rey had no idea who it could be but she felt Phasma tense and wondered if she should stay hidden.

“Bren,” Phasma acknowledged. Rey froze then scooted as close to Phasma as possible.

“Got a question for you,” Bren said. His voice got louder the closer he came. “How did you get Rey to like you?”

“What?” Phasma cocked her head to the side and looked him up and down in disbelief. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Oh, c’mon,” he replied on the verge of annoyance. “Of course you do. She, like, pretends to flirt with you and stuff.”

Phasma paused. Had it been anyone else, she was sure Rey would have come out of hiding, but she figured Rey wanted to hear what Bren would say, thinking she wasn’t around. It felt a little dishonest but it wasn’t something Phasma would lose sleep over.

“I’m not sure why you would think she’s pretending,” Phasma said slowly in an attempt to explain. “I told you. She thinks I’m hot.”

Bren stared at her blankly before responding, “No way.” His tone suggested she was either joking or dense. “I thought you were kidding when you said that. Is Rey gay?”

“Gay, straight, both…it doesn’t even matter. She’s not interested in you. That’s all there is to it,” Phasma shrugged. She could feel Rey clamping against her back and her fingers hooked in her belt loops. The smaller woman was trying hard not to let her presence make an outline under her cape.

“Why not?”

“Why isn’t she interested in you? Wow, this is awkward…Okay, so let me try putting it in this perspective. Why are _you_  interested in Rey?”

“She’s nice. Usually.”

“That’s it? Is there anything else about her that you like?”

“She’s hot.”

“Man, you are not doing yourself any favors. Here, let me tell you what’s so great about Rey. She’s extremely smart and motivated. There aren’t too many writers on the lot her age, which speaks of her brilliance and determination. She practices her craft all the time, always wanting to be better. She’s brave. She’ll rescue lost lambs in the pits of a dark cave or submit her writing to be reviewed for potential rejection or harsh critical feedback. She comes from a loving family and is able to be honest or trust in anyone who has not lost her faith.” Phasma felt the heat of Rey’s breath quicken against her back. “Rey is daring, adventurous, hilarious and fun to be with. She just happens to also be hot.”

“Yeah, that’s what I meant,” Bren nodded in agreement.

“No, you didn’t or you would have said it.”

“Pretty sure I was thinking that.”

“For fuck’s sake, Bren, I know you’re not a bad guy so I’m going to try to go a different route here. What is your favorite book?”

“I dunno.”

“Just say something. Anything.”

“I don’t know, I guess it’s been a while since I read a book. Ummmm…” Bren looked to the ground in deep thought. Phasma was losing her patience. “Probably Harry Potter.”

“Oh. That’s not a bad choice.”

“Although I didn’t read the book. I just like the movies.”

“You just inadvertently proved my point. What is it that you think Rey likes?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Exactly! You don’t know much beyond the fact she’s pretty. You and Rey have nothing in common. Rey reads and writes. She likes hiking and camping and being outdoors. You watch a lot of football, which is a game Rey isn’t into. She’s a baseball fan.”

“I can dig baseball.”

“Not the point. I’m trying to save you some embarrassment. There’s no reason for you to believe that you and Rey would work.”

“Weeeeeell…” he sang disagreeably.

“What now? Are you confused?”

“I’m not confused. Okay, maybe a little. She at least used to be into me.”

“Are you sure? What makes you think that?”

“She used to be really flirty with me but then she stopped and I don’t know why.”

“What? I’ve never seen her flirt with you.”

“Yeah, she used to all the time. I don’t know what happened.”

“How did she flirt?”

“Oh, you know, she would say I was doing a good job. She smiled at me all the time. She once invited me to hang out with the crew after shooting.”

“Hang on, none of that sounds like flirting. It sounds like Rey being nice.”

“Yeah, exactly. She used to be nice to me. Now she’s ignoring me for no reason after all I did for her.”

“Okay, I’ll bite,” Phasma sighed like it was barely worth her time to ask. “What have you done for her?”

“I give her compliments a lot. I gave her a gift.”

There was a brief pause as Phasma waited for him to continue but he simply stared at her in finality.

“That’s it? You act like a decent enough person around her and you expect her to fall at your feet?”

“Uh…”

“Also, she told me about your ‘gift.’ I’m going to give you free advice. Never give porn as a gift to a woman you don’t really know.”

“But why did she ask you-…?”

“She likes me, Bren! How are you not seeing this?” Phasma almost waved her hands exasperatedly in the air except that any movement might reveal Rey under her cape. “Let me spell it out for you. When Rey says nice things to you and smiles, she’s just being a nice person. That’s not flirting. Now, when Rey flirts she gets very aggressive and handsy. She’ll usually dream up some scenario to get the person she likes in a situation where there’s a lot of surreptitious kissing in semi-public areas. She’ll write out racy messages and send them through text throughout the day. She likes to joke about porn because it gets the subject of sex out in the open. I know all this because I am that person she flirts with. She has not nor has ever flirted with you.”

“Wait a minute,” Bren seemed more confused than ever. “You’re my competition?” Phasma was ready to reach out and strangle him.

The side door to the studio opened out and Krennic and Anakin walked through. They were headed in the opposite direction and Phasma hoped they would continue that way. No such luck. Krennic glanced back and happened to see them talking. He grabbed Anakin by the arm and pulled him to face the other way, giving his head a nod in Phasma and Bren’s direction.

“What’s with the formal costume?” Krennic asked as he walked towards Phasma. “I’m pretty sure you’re aware that’s not the outfit Captain Phasma wears when she goes to rescue Kelton’s daughter.” He stopped on her left, unnervingly close to her cape.

“It’s just a silly thing I was doing,” Phasma replied, hoping that was enough. Beneath her cape she could feel Rey scrunch in even closer. “I’ll go change in a minute.”

“I saw you earlier and didn’t even think twice about the costume,” Anakin remarked. He stood to her right, crossing his arms with a wry grin. “How was your lunch with Rey?”

“Fine,” Phasma replied, leaving it at that.

“You had lunch with Rey?” Bren asked incredulously. “You really are my competition? Now I wish I hadn’t asked you how to get Rey to like me.”

Krennic and Anakin glanced at each other in surprise.

“Yeah, Bren,” Krennic began. “No offense, but you shouldn’t put any effort into that. You’re not Rey’s type.”

“I’m not?”

“No, of course not,” Anakin responded, putting a hand on Bren’s shoulder for emphasis. “Sorry, but you’re wasting your time.”

Bren looked to the ground in disappointment. “Maybe you guys are right.”

“Hold up,” Phasma said in irritation. “I’ve been telling you to leave Rey alone for the past five minutes but as soon as two men tell you to stop you finally respect that. What gives?” Phasma felt Rey’s little fist punch softly into her kidney. _Stop goading him_

“I don’t know,” Bren replied a little fearfully. “I just figured they would know.”

“But I wouldn’t?” Phasma crossed her arms and glared at him in disbelief. “I’m the one that knows her best.”

“That’s true,” Krennic said, though he did a double take behind her. “Phasma and Rey live in the same house.”

“Yeah,” Anakin replied. “Phasma knows Rey _really_ well.” His tone suggested the hint behind his words. Bren didn’t catch on though Krennic gave him a look of revelation. Phasma slapped the back of her hand lightly against Anakin’s shoulder.

“What?” Anakin laughed. “It’s hardly a secret you two are getting back together.”

“Wait, what?” Krennic questioned. “ _Back_  together?” He glanced at Phasma and then to the shape hidden beneath her cape. Anakin noted Krennic’s gaze and looked behind her, his brows shooting up when he noticed the human-sized bulge underneath. Bren was still in the dark.

“Oh, I didn’t know you and Rey were together,” Bren replied apologetically. “I would have backed off if I had known I was on your turf.”

Anakin whistled low and Krennic grimaced, both looking to Phasma for a response.

“You have no idea how disrespectful that was,” Phasma told him gravely.

“What?” Bren replied, clearly lost in confusion. “I said I was sorry. How did I disrespect you?”

“Not Phasma.” Anakin shook his head, before raising his voice. “If only there was someone here to point out your error.”

“Yes,” Krennic answered in a near shout. “If only there was a woman who could illustrate to Bren how his thought process went wrong!”

“All right, all right…” Rey swung her arm out and ducked beneath the swing of Phasma’s cape. Bren yelped back in surprise. She pointed a finger at Bren and gave him her angriest glare.

“Why would you not listen to Phasma when she obviously knew what she was talking about? Not only did she give you excellent advice, but you didn’t even bother considering it until a _man_ pointed out how ridiculous you’re being.”

“B-uh…I…” Bren stuttered.

“No, shut up. Since you don’t get it, let me explain. Regardless of whether I’m in a relationship or not, I have told you that I’m not interested in you and yet you continue to harass me. You are not respecting my wishes, therefore, you are _disrespecting_ me. Do you think I like that? Would you want to date someone who didn’t respect your opinions? And on top of that, the moment you found out I was seeing Phasma, you apologize to _her. To her_! For trying to encroach on what you call her territory. I’m not territory to lay claim to. Do you understand? You showed more respect for the winner than for the person you are trying to win.”

Anakin and Krennic stood by, unsuccessfully stifling their amused smiles. Rey grabbed Phasma’s hand and pulled her away, going in any direction just to be alone.

“Open your eyes, Bren. You’re not a nice guy,” Rey ended off, dragging Phasma along with her. Krennic and Anakin started a round of applause.

“Well stated!” Krennic shouted louder as they got further away. “I hope to see that monologue in your next script!”

“Nicely put, Rey!” Anakin did the same. “You’re having another strange day, Phasma!”

 

 

It turned out Rey was taking Phasma to her trailer.

“I need to get into my chrome armor,” Phasma apologized as she began to rush around, grabbing the armor out of the chest. “I’m supposed to be on set in ten minutes.”

“Okay,” Rey said as she plunked onto the couch. Phasma gave her a quizzical look, to which Rey deflected with a determined one of her own.

“You don’t have to go to work?”

“As long as I do my job, I’m given a lot of leeway.”

“Okay then,” Phasma replied. Rey sat expectant as she watched Phasma pull off her uniform and strip down to her underwear. She made no attempt to hide the fact she was looking her over. “You’re just going to watch me?”

“If you’ll let me.”

“Sure,” Phasma smiled shyly. “If that’s what you want.” She pulled out her body glove and held it out in front of her like hanging up a shadow. She began to put it on, giving Rey a glance that suggested she was a little nervous.

“What?” Rey asked. “I can leave if you need me to.”

“No, it’s not that. Are you going to watch tonight’s episode?”

“I always do.”

“Want to come over and watch with me at the house?”

Rey felt a spark of excitement and worry. “Will Hux be there?” Better to not be alone with Phasma just yet. Rey didn’t entirely trust herself not to give in.

“No. It turns out Trevor is a huge Outland Base fan. They usually go to one of Trevor’s house to watch because it has a better media room than ours. According to Hux, it’s basically a movie theater. They invite all of Trevor’s friends. Rich people are ridiculous.”

“They don’t invite you?”

“Hux begs me to attend. He doesn’t say so but I know he wants to impress Trevor’s friends. Imagine showing up with one of the cast members? I haven’t been in the right frame of mind to go though.”

“So Hux and Trevor are a couple again?”

“Seems so. Hux keeps saying they’re just casual but I’m sure Trevor doesn’t see it that way.”

“How do you know?”

“About a week ago I got an email from Trevor. He was all over himself apologizing for having been a horrible boyfriend to Hux and that he understands if I don’t want to be around him or that I don’t want Hux around him. He says he wants to make amends but doesn’t want to push it if I’m uncomfortable with that. He left his phone number in case I wanted to question him about anything.”

“So I don’t really know Trevor but it seems like he’s taking the right approach,” Rey remarked. “He doesn’t seem too douchey.”

“I’ll admit that when they were together, Trevor was actually pretty fun to hang out with, if not a little self-entitled…”

“Like Hux.”

“Yeah, like Hux. But it’s hard to forgive a guy who cheats on your best friend with a screenwriter who was supposed to be the next big thing.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“Trevor was seen dancing with the guy who wrote Tristate Squad. The very next day after that, Tristate Squad was signed by the studio Trevor’s dad owns. This studio had been vetting him but Trevor beat them to it.”

“Sounds like you owe him then. Tristate Squad sucked.”

“Yeah, no wonder it bombed. Karma is a bitch.” With her body glove on, Phasma began placing the chrome plates on. “So, do you want to come over tonight then?”

Rey didn’t know how to respond. She immediately wanted to say yes, especially since she was still somewhat high from being so close to her under her cape, listening to the things Phasma had said about her. But she was loving the thrill she was getting from holding out on her, extending the pursuit until Rey was thoroughly satisfied. Luckily, she didn’t have to answer because a knock at the door caused them both to spin their attention to it.

“Oh,” Hux said in surprise as he entered the trailer. “Hey, Rey. I would have waited for an answer if I had known you were in here.”

“You didn’t interrupt anything,” Rey told him, though Phasma gave Hux a glare insisting he had.

“Ah, well, I just came by to give my usual invitation.” He turned to Phasma. “You coming over tonight?”

“I might have other plans,” Phasma stated, looking to Rey for confirmation.

“Is this the Outland Base viewing at Trevor’s?” Rey inquired.

“It is,” Hux admitted, eyes suddenly narrowing as an idea popped into his head. “You’re invited too. As one of the writers, you would be welcomed with open arms.”

“It does sound enticing…” Rey looked to Phasma who was still snapping chrome plates to herself.

“Are you kidding me? You want me to take you to Trevor’s tonight?” There was a hint of bleakness coming from Phasma, who wasn’t ready to forgive Trevor.

“No, but I’d kind of like to go. I want to meet Trevor.”

“He wants to meet you,” Hux replied. “He doesn’t like the fact that our friends have not been introduced to each other. By the way, I’ve convinced Mitaka and Poe to come over so you’ll happen to have some buffers, Phasma.”

“I don’t know,” Phasma sighed. “I’ll let you know later.”

“All right, but you know how much it would mean to me, right?”

“Yes, of course.” Phasma stood up, now fully armored. “I’ll let you know. I promise.”

 

 

Phasma waved goodbye to Rey and Hux who both turned to go to their respective buildings.

“I hate to pry…” Hux began.

“No, not together,” Rey answered. Hux mumbled an ‘ah’ and nodded his head. “But potentially. And soon.”

“Ah!” Hux smiled. “I just want you to know that I wholeheartedly support your relationship. I told you I’ve always thought you two would be great together.”

“Yeah, I still can’t believe you never mentioned anything to me about it till the day after Ben left.”

“Well, you know Phasma. She likes to maintain her privacy, especially in regards to relationships. Word around the lot is that she’s been openly wooing you so somehow you broke her out of her shell.”

“Tell that to Bren. He was caught completely by surprise about it. He considered Phasma his _competition._ ”

“Bren? That second assistant director guy? That’s an odd one. How’s the stringing Phasma along going?”

“Is that what you’re calling it? In a word: great! She’s been pretty actively trying to win me over. I mean, she already has, but I just love this attention. I-…it might be going to my head.”

“You’re fine. I know you won’t go overboard with it. Besides, Phasma was all about kicking everybody’s butts into gear a month ago. It just seems you’re doing the same to her this time around.”

“Yeah,” Rey thought on it for a second before completely agreeing. “Yeah! Thanks for that Hux.”

“What’re friends for?”

“Kind of like to hear about Trevor though.”

“What about him?”

“If it’s not too forward, what’s the story about the screenwriter he stole from the studio?”

“Oh, that?” To her surprise, Hux chuckled. “I told Phasma everything but she only wants to form it in a bad light.

“The studio was looking to buy the guy’s script but I read it and immediately knew it was garbage. No amount of arguing about it with the exec in charge of the project would change his mind. I was just seen as the president’s idiot son. I told Trevor I was mad about the studio signing the deal on the morrow and Trevor took it as a challenge. He found the guy at a gay club that he apparently frequented. Trevor charmed him and convinced him to sign a deal with his father’s company. When everything came through he told me what he’d done.”

“Oh, that’s not so bad.”

“I was pissed. I didn’t tell him to do that. The stupid exec who was going to sign the deal would have been fired by now if he had produced that piece of trash. And on top of that, Trevor did admit to me that he fooled around with the guy, but his excuse was he was trying to persuade him to drop our studio and figured he would succeed if he made the screenwriter believe he really wanted him. All in all, not a great idea on Trevor’s part.”

“I can see where he went wrong.”

“Yes, anyway, Trevor sees it now too. He’s been much better behaved since I’ve given him the time of day again. He and Phasma used to be at least cordial, if not sometimes friendly, before the fall out. He regrets losing that since he knows how much she means to me.”

“It’s nice of him to apologize to Phasma about his actions too. He seems to be handling this maturely.”

Hux turned to Rey in surprise. “What’s that?”

“The email Trevor sent Phasma…?” Rey replied. “You don’t know anything about that?”

“No, I don’t,” Hux admitted. “I’ll have to ask him about it. Anyway, you coming over tonight?”

“Definitely. I’m not going to try to convince Phasma since I don’t want her feeling ambushed but I hope my presence will coax her.”

“You and I both. See you later, Rey.” Hux parted ways with her once she was back at the writer’s block.

Rey hustled up the stairs to her office, entering in like a zephyr and nearly knocking Jessika’s papers off her desk.

“You were gone a long time,” Jessika said with a light tease. “Did you take a ‘nap’ in Phasma’s trailer?” Jessika crooked her fingers in air quotes.

“Shut up. We just went to lunch.”

“I just heard from that PA with the lisp, who heard from Wedge, who heard from Anakin Skywalker that you were hiding under Phasma’s cape earlier to get away from Bren.”

“Oh, my god!” Rey exclaimed in shock. “How do you even know about that? My life is an open book.”

“Yeah, and it’s turning out to be a harlequin novel.”

 

 

“I’m not sure I’m ready to do this,” Phasma said as she turned off the engine to her car and looked up to the massive house before them.

“Listen, I didn’t really expect you to come when I asked you for a ride,” Rey responded. “I don’t mind if you drop me off and go home. I see Mitaka’s car and I’m sure he’ll let me tag along with him later.”

“That’s because he thinks Padme Amidala is hot and would probably love to know where she lives,” Phasma remarked.

“Phasma,” Rey stated seriously enough to cause Phasma to turn to her gravely. “Do you think maybe the reason you’re so reluctant to forgive Trevor is because any offense to your family is amplified by the fact you didn’t really grow up with one of your own? Since Hux is the longest-standing member of the family you made, you’re very protective of him. A little too protective, perhaps.”

Phasma huffed out in defiance, which quickly turned to self-reflection when Rey kept her hard stare on her.

“You keep kicking me in the pants. Forcing me to grow up,” Phasma finally proclaimed. “Emotions are stupid.”

“They do get in the way,” Rey agreed. “But I like the way you make me feel so I’ll take them.”

Phasma smiled shyly, unable to look Rey in the eye. “All right, let’s go before anyone thinks we’re making out.”

“I wouldn’t mind anyone thinking that,” Rey said as she got out of the car.

“Hey, I’m supposed to be the one chasing after you, therefore I make the crass compliments around here, missy.”

 

 

Trevor was definitely on his best behavior. Rey thought it was sweet how he even seemed nervous about having Phasma around. Phasma did her best to be cordial but stayed as far from Trevor as she could. It was a start.

It was nice to see their old friends again. Rey hadn’t seen anyone since before the break up and her reunion with Poe, Holdo, Mitaka and Unamo was more raucous than she would have expected.

Hux was not exaggerating. Trevor had a small movie theater in his house. The show started and everyone settled into their comfy recliners. The room was at full capacity with around sixty people. Because Captain Phasma was in attendance, and because many of Trevor’s friend’s claimed she was their favorite character, her appearance on screen brought a cheer every time. Phasma could never get used to it.

Rey recognized the story, and though it wasn’t an episode she wrote, there was a particular scene that she was excited for. As soon as Captain Phasma showed up on screen wearing the formal uniform she had worn earlier that day, Rey grabbed her hand and squeezed in excitement.

After the show, many of the people had questions that incited an impromptu Q&A session about the show. Rey fielded story questions while Phasma talked about her character and the behind the scenes shoots.

They ended up being there much longer than Phasma had anticipated and it was close to midnight before they decided to leave.

“So, what’d you think?” Phasma asked once they got in the car.

“About Trevor? He seems all right. He’s kind of got that rich boy prissiness about him but it’s not too obnoxious. What is obnoxious is the flawlessness of his skin. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man better moisturized than him.”

“Yeah, he kind of takes pride in his looks.”

“I can kind of see why. That man is stupidly gorgeous and I’m saying that as a gay woman,” Rey answered, shaking her head in mild disbelief. “He seems genuinely hooked on Hux though.”

“Yeah,” Phasma mused. “I guess so. Even more so now than a few years ago.” She pulled away from the house and onto the main street, headed in the opposite direction of Padme Amidala’s place.

“Where are we going?” Rey asked.

“Home,” Phasma stated.

“Nice try. Turn around.”

Phasma smirked and made a U-turn at the next light. “Just wondering, are you ever coming back home?”

“Outlook good,” Rey replied, pretending to shake an invisible Magic 8 ball. “How could I stay away from someone who applies such nice adjectives to me?”

“Oh, like ‘hot’?”

“From you, yes. I also liked when you called me daring and adventurous.”

“How daring do you feel right now?” Phasma shot her a wink.

Rey narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously. She pretended to shake her Magic 8 Ball again. “My sources say a little.”

Without a word, Phasma pulled over to the curb.

 

 

“I’m not sure I’d place ice cream in the daring category,” Rey said between licks.

“It’s after midnight! Sugar at so late an hour? Definitely daring.” Phasma was much faster at licking through her treat, which Rey couldn’t help but notice.

“I kind of think you were just trying to find ways to keep me from going home.”

“Whaaaat?” Phasma feigned surprise. “Me? I’m trying to get you to come back home.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Is it working?”

Rey didn’t want to sound too eager. She stalled with her invisible Magic 8 Ball. “It is decidedly so.”

“You’re a nut,” Phasma replied. She directed her next question at Rey’s hand. “Will Rey come home with me tonight?”

Rey pretended to shake the ball and read it’s message. “Don’t count on it.”

“Does Rey like me?”

Another shake of the pretend ball and Rey had an answer. “Without a doubt.” Rey gave Phasma a sly look. It prompted Phasma to scoot closer to her and place her arm around her shoulder.

“Should I kiss Rey?” Phasma leaned in.

“Ask again later,” Rey read off her pretend Magic 8 Ball then stood up, leaving Phasma dumbfounded.

“Was that too much?”

“Not at all. I’m just remembering how long it took you to cave in.”

“Wait, so you’re going to make me wait a month? Not that I don’t deserve that or that I will give up but that feels like an awfully long time.”

“Probably not a month,” Rey admitted. “But definitely not tonight.”

“From what I recall, we kissed a lot before we got together. Within the first hour, I believe.”

“That’s a little different.” Rey couldn’t suppress her smile at the memory.

“How about this, I’m going to treat you the way you treated me so that there’s no ambiguity on what’s permissible.”

“Eh…”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“I was really persistent.”

“No kidding! Relentlessly so. Turnabout’s fair play.”

“Okay, fine.”

“Good.” Phasma came up to Rey and pressed her fingers around her bicep. “That is so sexy! Have you been working out?”

“Oh my god…” Rey rolled her eyes.

“One kiss! I’m going crazy!” Phasma pulled Rey into her and made a weak attempt to kiss her in case she wanted to easily pull away. The closeness sent a tingling though her and Rey made no effort to break free. Instead she wrapped her arms around Phasma’s waist and pressed her head against her shoulder. Phasma stopped her teasing and hugged Rey closer in a tight squeeze. Rey could smell Phasma’s familiar scent, could hear her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She closed her eyes, preferring this moment than to being under her cape.

After a long while, Rey lightly pushed away.

“Take me back to Padme’s.”

 

 

The next morning, Friday, Rey woke up to a string of texts.

 

_Good morning. I love you._

 

And then more followed that is, at the risk of falling into a diabetic coma, too saccharine to disclose.

By the time Rey arrived to work, she was walking on sunshine.

“Did you cave?” Jessika asked her once she noticed the sappy glow from Rey.

“No,” Rey responded, hardly annoyed.

“Five bucks says it happens today.”

“I’ll take that bet. I’m going to hold out for at least the weekend, just so she feels a little bit of suffering, but once Monday rolls around…I don’t know. I was thinking of pretending to need some stuff back at the house and going over in something a little risque to torment her. I might let her kiss me then.”

“Don’t get mad at me for saying this, but I think you’re approaching unreasonable levels of entitled bitchiness.”

“Oh my god, you think so?” Rey asked in genuine concern. “Am I going overboard? I’ve never had anyone show this kind of aggression for me and it’s intoxicating.”

“Didn’t you have a budding stalker last year?”

“All right, I meant aggression by someone I want to pursue me. Am I being entitled?”

“Kind of. Try not to be an asshole, okay?”

“Yeah, thanks for your honesty.”

Rey’s phone pinged and she drew it out of her bag and read the text.

 

_Look out your window_

 

Rey rushed over and looked down below where Phasma sat on the motorcycle and waved. Rey waved back, not realizing at first that Phasma was implying she come down.

Rey hastily said she’d be back soon to which Jessika rolled her eyes with a laugh. She was down the stairs before Phasma could move the motorcycle to the front door.

“Adventure time. Put this on,” Phasma said as she handed Rey a leather jacket. Once she was properly clothed and helmeted, Phasma pulled her up on the bike behind her and drove away with a thundering rev of the engine.

Rey had no idea where they were going but it turned out not to be far. Phasma pulled the bike into the stunt course and Rey hung on, whooping and laughing, while the blonde maneuvered them expertly through one of the tracks.

After the second turn around the track, Phasma drove the motorcycle behind a large garage and turned it off.

“What do you think?” Phasma asked her as soon as she removed her helmet.

“About what?” Rey asked with a tease.

“Anything. The motorcycle, the track, the weather…” Phasma arched a brow. “Me?”

“I think you’re pretty good at this chasing thing.”

“Oh? How good?” Without waiting for an answer, Phasma dipped low towards Rey. Rey stuck a hand up just before their lips could meet.

“Not until Monday,” Rey responded, and wanted to kick herself for saying something so stupid out loud. She wished she hadn’t been discussing her plan with Jessika earlier or she might not have accidentally mentioned it to Phasma.

Phasma’s brows shot to her hairline. “You’ve got it figured out by the day?”

“Oh, shit, I know how that sounds.”

“It sounds very Rey. Don’t worry, I know you well enough to understand what you’re thinking. I deserve it.”

“No, you don’t. Jessika told me I’m turning int-…”

“Sorry, I meant you deserve it.”

“Oh.” Rey glanced up at the sky in relief. “As long as you’re okay with it? I mean, that doesn’t annoy you or anything, right?”

“Nah,” Phasma smiled. “I don’t mind. I’ll kiss you on Monday.”

“Great. Now you know my timeline and it takes all the fun out of torturing you.”

“I’ll pretend to be a tortured soul,” Phasma responded. “But just out of curiosity, what day will we have sex?”

“I’m going to say never so that when it happens you’ll be totally surprised.”

“I’ll just put you down for Tuesday then.”

 

 

Phasma dropped Rey off at the writer’s block. Before Phasma drove away, Rey assured that she would be on the sidelines to watch her film the speeder bike stunt after lunch. Upon entering her office, Jessika stared hard at her with a smirk.

“Now have you caved?”

“No!” Rey chastised.

“Have my money ready anyway.”

 

 

The stunt wasn’t all that daring considering the other work Phasma had performed but there were a great deal more people coming out to support her. Because Phasma had a very odd week, with Krennic’s permission the Outland Base crew decided to all come out and cheer, which was unorthodox but not unwelcomed.

At one o’clock, Hux picked up Rey in his golf cart and together they convinced Jessika to join them. The three of them made their way down to the stunt set which was about a mile from the studio. They settled in on the cart parked along the sidelines where the rest of the crew were seated.

“What’s the ETA?” Hux asked Mace as they all stared from the roped off section.

“The pyrotechnics crew is going over their set up. Phasma has been practicing the stunt for a better part of an hour and is currently suiting up in the flame retardant gear. The stunt directors are going over last minute checks. Should be soon here.”

Not a minute later Phasma appeared wearing what looked like chrome armor, but they were all aware was just silver kevlar that only had the appearance of her regular uniform from far away. She waved to the crowd and everyone cheered.

She straddled the motorcycle and received some notes from Krennic before revving the bike. Krennic stepped away but was called back by Phasma who held a gloved palm up to him, showing something on her right hand.

“What’s she doing?” Hux asked.

“No idea,” Mace said as they all watched Krennic bring a stunt director over and they began talking over Phasma’s hand, wiping at it with a towel. Rey wished they weren’t so far away so that she could hear what they were saying. She glanced at Padme who looked at her with the same unease.

Finally, Krennic stepped away from Phasma and radioed the safety posts, making sure everyone was in position in case anything should happen outside of their planning.

“Action!” Krennic shouted. Phasma pulled the throttle and sped away in a burst of acceleration. The track was set up so that she had to pass by the audience while the cameras followed her on a cable suspended system. As she went past, Rey could see that Phasma was completely in control and she relaxed slightly.

Phasma jumped the bike off a ramp intending to leap off the flying motorcycle just after lift, however instead of falling to the side on a large inflatable mat hidden in the grass, Phasma couldn’t seem to jump until the apex of the motorcycle’s height in air. It was way too late to be considered a safe landing and she flew off twenty feet in the air in the opposite direction, landing near an area where the pyrotechnics crew had laid explosives.

The explosives were triggered by the motorcycle ramming into the makeshift impenetrable-looking bunker door at the end of the track, just like it was supposed to do. Phasma had landed in a ditch and was currently unseen so once the explosions ruptured the air, no one from the audience could tell if she was close enough to have been killed by the blast. There was screaming and yelling throughout the audience and the crew. Seconds felt like minutes as they waited for any sign of Phasma.

Rey was not one of the ones screaming. She had always been too strong a person to be an emotional fainter but she very nearly did that moment. Her heart fractured in her chest in a painfully abrupt stall. She couldn’t move or breathe. She felt like she was dying, too wrecked inside to function.

Hux grabbed her hand and she clasped onto his just to remind herself not to give up hope.

There was a loud gasp from the onlookers as soon as a blonde head popped up from the dredges of the ditch. Phasma climbed half-way out, completely muddy from the standing water and the debris that had rained down on her from the exploding earth. Once she had stumbled out, she gave a half-hearted wave, clearly disoriented but mostly unharmed.

Rey broke off in a run. It spurred Hux to do so. Soon everyone was running towards Phasma and even Krennic joined in, not even bothering to rein in control on the set.

 

 

Phasma’s ears were ringing after the blast despite immediately going fetal and clamping her thermal gel covered gloves over her helmet.

If it hadn’t been for the thermal gel slicked all over her, that might have been a successful stunt. She had lost control of the bike when she jumped it. The goo had made it difficult to get enough traction to leap off of her own accord. Instead, she was flung off by kinetic energy and gravity did the rest. Currently her brain was steadily ceasing her vertigo enough that she was more aware of her surroundings.

The first to reach her was the pyrotechnic assistant whose job was to ensure her landing on the inflatable mat had left her with no lasting damage. He still had his fire extinguisher in his hand.

“Phasma!” he yelled with a tinge of horror to his voice. She thought maybe he was in more shock than she was. “Are you okay? The medic is coming. I can see her running this way. Did you break anything? Shouldn’t you be sitting down?”

“I’m okay,” Phasma replied as she pulled off her helmet and shook off her jacket. She worked her arms and legs, finding them sore but not broken.

The second to reach her was the other pyrotechnic crewman who had been sitting nearest to the bunker but far enough away to be considered safe. He still had his noise cancelling earmuffs on.

“PHASMA!” he shouted way too loud. “HOLY SHIT, ARE YOU BROKEN?”

“No, Lando, I’m fine,” Phasma said after she pulled his earmuffs off. “Just a bit dizzy.”

The third to reach her was Anakin. Being young, tall and in shape, he sprinted the fastest and did not stop until he skidded to a stop just on the edge of the ditch.

“Oh, damn, Phasma…” he said doubled over and out of breath. “Holy hell, we were all so scared. You are having the weirdest week.”

Now there were more people coming and Phasma thought it was strange that Krennic had allowed it until she looked over and noticed he was running in her direction too. Her immediate thought was to look for Rey. She found her not all that far away, still sprinting towards her. It wasn’t until Rey was at the edge of the ditch, still running at full speed, that Phasma braced herself and managed to catch the brunette right as she jumped into her arms.

Phasma stumbled backwards a step before she caught her footing at the same time that Rey forced her lips to Phasma’s in a desperate kiss. There was a brief moment of astonishment from Phasma until she closed her eyes and welcomed it. With her hands holding Rey up, and Rey’s legs wrapped firmly around the blonde’s waist, the two gave into their hunger with a surprising ferocity.

Everyone who had made it out that far the quickest waited for Rey and Phasma to finish their reunion, and it began to dawn on a few early on that that might not be soon. Rey made no attempt to pull away from Phasma, her mouth working over Phasma’s in over-heightened desire. Phasma was so relieved to have her back, she didn’t even care if they were still being filmed. After an awkward while, Hux exchanged a brief look at Anakin, who shrugged with a laugh.

Anakin walked a step into the ditch to pat Phasma on the shoulder. “Weirdest week ever,” he said then headed back towards the studio. “She’s fine! Give them some space! Nothing to see here!” he called out to the stragglers.

Padme had made it out by this time. “I’m not going to wait up for you tonight, all right?” she told Rey. Rey muffled a ‘mm-hmm’ into Phasma’s mouth though nothing else indicated she had heard her.

“You owe me five bucks,” Jessika laughed as she turned away.

“Uh, I’ll be staying at Trevor’s tonight again,” Hux said near Phasma’s ear. “Got the house to yourself.” Phasma gave him a quick thumbs up, her only response. There was a bit of tongue exchange between Phasma and Rey by this point.

Krennic was still breathing hard by the time he was next to them. “Are you hurt, Phasma? What am I saying? You look fine. But stop by medical before you leave the lot today.”

Phasma didn’t seem to hear. Krennic made another attempt. “Rey, make sure Phasma sees the set medic.” Rey drew her fingers out of Phasma’s hair long enough to give him the okay sign.

Everyone dispersed, some looking perplexed, most smiling with the adorableness, if not nauseatingly sweet display behind them.

 

 

Rey hadn’t been back in the house in over a month. It was the first time they had ever been completely alone under the same roof. There was no reason to be cautious or hindered and it opened up another layer of sexual awakening between them. With no effort to subdue their excitement, they allowed themselves to be vocally overwhelmed. Later, they realized they didn’t have to isolate themselves to just their rooms. If Hux knew about their escapades, he might not have been so receptive to leaving them alone in the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, all right, I did the kissing thing again. I wanted to put a new spin on it so just decided, why the hell not?  
> And because I doubt I'll mention it in the epilogue, the take of Phasma's stunt actually turned out looking great and it was used in the episode.


	21. Epilogue

 

_**Nine months later** _

 

Phasma dropped another box onto the floor with a wheezing gasp. “What did you put in this box? Feels like a shit ton of books.”

Rey pointed to the word on the side. “Books.”

“Ah, that explains it then,” Phasma replied. “Don’t you know not to put all your books in one box. Makes it too heavy to carry.”

“You carried it just fine,” Rey chuckled, giving her girlfriend a kiss on her cheek. “Besides, why do you work out if not to be able to carry a box of books during a move?”

“Pretty sure that’s not the point of working out…” Phasma mumbled as she went back out to the truck to retrieve the rest of the boxes.

They had been looking forward to having their own place since Hux had informed them that he would be selling the house and moving in with Trevor. They found something small but stupidly extravagant considering they were living on their boosted salaries. It was in a high rise that was close to the studios, offering quiet for Rey to work and stiff security that prevented Phasma from being accosted by the surprising number of people wanting autographs from Captain Phasma. Currently, Phasma unloaded the boxes while Rey unpacked them.

“How do we have so much stuff?” Rey asked as Phasma brought in the last of the boxes.

“No idea. Though I’m not sure why you want to keep your crock pot you never use.”

“Says the person who apparently needs four different jugs of protein powders.”

“I get bored with one flavor.”

A knock at the front door spurred Phasma to yell at it. “I told you to just come in, Hux!”

“I’m not Hux,” said the newcomer as he opened the door with a nervous smile. Phasma froze but Rey was up off her feet and running to him with arms wide open.

“Ben!” she wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed hard enough to knock some of the wind out of him. He happily returned the hug, picking her up and twirling her in the air. “I missed you so much! What are you doing here? How did you know where we live? How long are you going to be here?”

Phasma stood up not knowing how to respond. She hadn’t seen Ben since she had pushed him away nearly a year ago.

Any fears she had that he was still angry with her died away when he came to her and grasped her in a tight embrace.

 

 

Hux came over and was not at all surprised to see Ben considering he was the one who gave him Phasma and Rey’s new address. He was already in his tux.

“You’re going to wear that for the next four hours until we get to the theater?” Phasma asked as she pulled out her dress from the garment bag.

“Yes, I like to be prepared,” Hux answered. “Besides, there’s a lot to talk about while Ben’s here and I don’t want to be bothered with getting dressed.”

“We watched your last race,” Rey told Ben while he sat on the couch rummaging through one of the boxes. “You were amazing! You got my congratulations cookie basket, right?”

“Ate ‘em all in one sitting,” Ben replied.

“Sorry you can’t come with us to the awards ceremony,” Phasma said. “Had I known you’d be here one of us would have put you down as our plus one.”

“Nah, it’s okay. That’s not really my scene,” Ben answered. “I’ve got plans to meet up with Mitaka and Poe later on. Though I am so proud of you, Rey. When I heard about your nomination for outstanding writing I might have gotten a lot of looks from the pit crew while I was jumping around.”

“It might have been the same looks Rey got in the sports bar when we all went to watch your championship race,” Phasma said. “Did you bring your trophy?”

“That thing weighs twenty pounds.”

“So, yes?”

“You’ll have to come to Tatooine to see it.”

“That’s fine,” Hux answered. “We were thinking about taking a trip out there to do some camping and watch one of your races. For all his refinement, Trevor has never been to a Podrace.”

“How’re things going with…that,” Ben asked hesitantly, unsure how to phrase it in the least rude way possible.

“As you’ve heard, we’ve found a place together. In regards to my father, he’s the one that finally asked me about my sexuality and then a long talk followed with some understanding that we’re both allowed to be disappointed by the other but not unsupportive.”

“And then Brendol found out Hux was seeing Trevor Snoke,” Phasma piped in cheerfully. “I have never seen him do a 180 on his convictions so fast. Suddenly he was asking if Trevor wanted to come up to the house for a weekend and if the two families might want to celebrate together for the holidays.”

“My father is a business man first; family man second,” Hux stated.

“What about you, Captain Phasma?” Ben teased. “Besides the spin-off that’s all over the news, you got anything in the works?”

Phasma colored red while Rey and Hux gave her knowing grins. “Perhaps.”

“Rey has a script I’m interested in producing,” Hux replied. “It’s about a lady knight who is consistently fighting for her place in the king’s guard during medieval times. She’s ruthless both on and off the battlefield. There’s dragons and stuff.”

“That was almost a perfect summary,” Rey said in jest. “I obviously wrote it with Phasma in mind. We can start working on production after Phasma signs on, which is next week.”

“I can’t believe I got talked into that,” Phasma sighed.

“It’s got Oscar written all over it,” Hux grinned. “And it happens to be one of the two scripts Phasma finagled out of my father.”

“You really shouldn’t use your last gimme on this script,” Phasma told him. “Brendol would let you greenlight it without a dispute.”

“I’m going to use my freebie on it. I want to use it on my friends. I told you this.”

“All right, I don’t need another lecture,” Phasma replied.

 

 

Rey and Phasma wanted to spend more time with Ben but they needed to get dressed for the award ceremony. There was an entire makeup and hair crew that worked them over, transforming them into the celebrities they hadn’t realized they had become.

They took a limo to the event and hopped out on the red carpet, surprised by all the calling from the fans.

“Captain Phasma!”

There were shouts of her name everywhere and flashes of lights blinding them as they walked down the line.

“What can you tell us about your upcoming Captain Phasma spin-off?” a reporter yelled out, doing everything he could to gain their attention.

“Who are you wearing?”

Phasma and Rey bypassed that one without so much as a glance.

One reporter managed to flag them down together. “Mon Mothma with the Coruscant Sun,” she said in a rush. “Phasma Tarkin, you have no idea how thrilled I am to hear about your new show. We know it follows the Captain after the overthrow of the Republic as she and her ship of mercenaries travel the stars fighting for justice, but can you tell us anymore about the Captain? Will we get to see more of her past? Will there be a love interest?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell anymore beyond that,” Phasma answered, “because I don’t really know. The writer’s are still working on the plot.”

“You’re one of the writer’s aren’t you?” Mon Mothma shoved her microphone at Rey. “Rey Walker, nominated tonight for the episode in which Captain Phasma is revealed to be, well,” she waved a hand over at Phasma, “a beautiful, blonde woman. What can you say about the Captain’s future?”

“Well, I can promise there will be a lot of thrilling adventures,” Rey replied, glancing up at Phasma with a knowing smile, “and there will certainly be a love interest for her.”

“There is?” Phasma asked in astonishment.

“I can’t say anymore,” Rey laughed, backing away from the microphone.

“You two are one of the most gorgeous couples here tonight…” Mon Mothma continued.

“Thank you,” Rey and Phasma said simultaneously.

“...so will there be wedding bells soon?”

“Dear god, you’re not even the first to ask…” Phasma remarked with some annoyance.

“Depends on tonight’s outcome,” Rey replied. Phasma gave her an exasperated look and smacked the back of her hand lightly across her arm.

“What’s that?” Mon Mothma pressed. “Do you mean if you win?”

“We made a bet,” Rey confirmed. “If I win she has to marry me.”

“It’s an inside joke,” Phasma responded. “She wouldn’t really make me marry her.”

“I wouldn’t,” Rey agreed, “though maybe if it were under different circumstances?” Phasma smiled shyly and looked away.

 

 

Rey and Phasma sat in their seats which were next to Padme and Anakin.

“Oh my god, I am so excited for you,” Padme said to Rey as she squirmed in her seat, unable to sit still.

“If you win, we’re going to Chewy’s house and we’re all jumping in his pool fully clothed,” Anakin said cheerfully. “That’s a thing, right?”

“I’m not sure it is, but we can make it a thing,” Rey laughed.

“I heard that,” Chewy leaned over from a row behind them. “If you win I’ll reach all the tall things that Phasma can’t reach for you.”

“That’s a good one,” Rey nodded. “I’m going to hold you to that, Chewy.”

“And I’ll let you jump in my pool fully clothed. But not this guy.” Chewy pointed to Anakin with a snicker.

“If you win,” Padme responded, “I’ll bring you a box of those iced coffees you love so much. And if you don’t win then I’ll bring double.”

The lights dimmed low as an announcer welcomed the patrons to the annual television awards ceremony.

“If you win,” Phasma whispered to Rey as everyone clapped and focused their attention on the stage, “I’ll make sure that you are loved everyday of my life. Signified with a ring.”

“What if I don’t win?”

“Then we get married.”

“Is this our proposal story?” Rey joked.

“How else would you expect a proposal? This is exactly like us.” Phasma leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss on Rey’s lips. Rey accepted, challenging her with more insistence. There was a second or two where they were lost in the kiss, the surrounding ceremony around them dwindled to background noise, much like when they had first met that night two years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet, I hope this ending satisfies.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read to the end! I appreciate every kudos and comment along the way. Without the support I'm quite certain I would not have been able to find the motivation to write this story all the way through.


End file.
